IDF announces elimination of Hamas's de facto prime minister in Gaza Strip
Photo: The IDF announced the elimination of Hamas's de facto prime minister in the Gaza Strip (Getty Images)
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have announced the elimination of the de facto prime minister of Hamas-controlled Gaza and several other high-ranking officials of the terrorist group, The Times of Israel reports.
In their statement, the Israeli military claimed to have killed four senior Hamas officials as part of a large-scale bombing campaign targeting dozens of sites in the Gaza Strip.
Among those eliminated were Dir. General of the Hamas Interior Ministry Mahmoud Abu Watfa, head of the governmental activity monitoring committee Issam Da’alis, the director-general of Hamas’s Justice Ministry Ahmad al-Khatta, and head of Hamas’s internal security forces Bahjat Abu Sultan.
Issam Da’alis, Hamas's de facto prime minister, replaced Rawhi Mushtaha after his assassination by Israel in July 2024.
The IDF stated that these attacks aim to "cause a blow to the military and governmental capabilities of the Hamas terror organization, and remove a threat to the State of Israel and its citizens."
Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip
On the night of March 18, the Israeli army carried out massive strikes on Hamas militant targets in the Gaza Strip.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the IDF had been urged to "act decisively" against Hamas amid the militants' refusal to release Israeli hostages.
Netanyahu's office also noted that Hamas "rejected all received proposals" from US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and other mediators regarding the continuation of the truce in Gaza.
Arab media, citing Gaza’s medical officials, report that the latest Israeli airstrikes on March 18 have resulted in 130 deaths across the enclave.
Read more about Israel’s large-scale attack on Gaza last night in RBC-Ukraine’s report.
