Assassination of Marwan Issa

Assassination of Marwan Issa
Part of the Israel–Hamas war
Nuseirat Location within the Gaza Strip
Location	Nuseirat, Gaza Strip
Date	10 March 2024
Target	Marwan Issa
Attack type	Airstrike
Deaths	5+ Palestinians
Perpetrator	Israel Defense Forces

On 10 March 2024, Marwan Issa, the deputy commander of Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, was killed by an Israeli airstrike as part of the Israel–Hamas war. Israel announced the targeting of an underground facility in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, allegedly used by Issa, airing footage of the strike and noting that the results were still being analyzed. Five Palestinians were reportedly killed in the bombing. Hamas did not respond until it privately confirmed Issa's death on 17 March.

Background

Marwan Issa had served as the deputy commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades, acting as a deputy to Mohammed Deif. Issa had been described as a "decisive and quiet" person who "had a lot of experience". Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari alleged that Issa helped plan the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel.

Marwan Issa spent five years in prison from 1987 to 1992 for his activities with Hamas and involvement in the First Intifada. He was imprisoned again in 1997 by the Palestinian Authority for his role in bomb attacks, but escaped prison in 2000 when the Second Intifada erupted. Israel had previously attempted to assassinate Issa by destroying his house twice, during the 2014 Gaza War and the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, killing his brother. Issa's son was killed in an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza in December 2023. Marwan Issa was labeled a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the United States in September 2019.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, the other targeted Hamas official, Ghazi Abu Tama'a, was a former head of Hamas's Central Camps Brigade and was responsible "for all of Hamas's weapons in Gaza".

Assassination

According to the Israel Defense Forces, the targeted underground complex in Nuseirat was used by two Hamas officials, namely Marwan Issa and Ghazi Abu Tama'a. During the night of 10 March 2024, Israeli warplanes dropped bombs on the underground facility, killing Issa and at least five Palestinians.

Confirmation

On 17 March 2024, it was reported that Hamas had confirmed in private that Issa had been killed in the strike. At the time of his killing, Issa was the highest-ranking Hamas commander to be killed in the war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly hailed the news as "a great achievement for Israel" and stated "they will all die, we will reach them all."

On 18 March 2024, U.S. White House official Jake Sullivan confirmed Issa's death, adding that "a military plan cannot succeed without an integrated humanitarian plan and political plan".

On 26 March 2024, the Israel Defense Forces officially confirmed Issa's death after having "looked into all the intelligence".

Analysis

Experts noted that Issa's death did not represent a significant threat to the group's survival, insisting that "there's always a replacement" and that Hamas will "overcome" the assassination in a week or two.

Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, Marwan Bishara, noted that "the idea of declaring victory because one or two, or several Hamas leaders were killed, has proven to be more of a facade" and that "Hamas has proven more than capable of producing more and more leaders".