Israel eliminates Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza amid escalating airstrikes

In a significant blow to Hamas’s leadership in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet security agency confirmed the elimination of Issam Dib Abdullah al-Da’alis, the de facto Prime Minister of Hamas’s government in Gaza, during a series of precision airstrikes over the past 24 hours. Al-Da’alis, who assumed the role following the death of his predecessor Ruhi Mushtaha in July 2024, was killed alongside other senior Hamas operatives as Israel intensified its military campaign against the terrorist organization amid a breakdown in ceasefire talks.

Al-Da’alis, a member of Hamas’s political bureau since 2021, was a key figure in the group’s governance of the Strip. As head of the Government Work Monitoring Committee—a position akin to prime minister—he oversaw Hamas’s civil administration, coordinating its terror infrastructure and ensuring the regime’s functionality even as Israel’s military pressure mounted. His elimination marks the latest in a string of high-profile killings aimed at crippling Hamas’s operational and political capabilities.

Ruhi Mushtaha, al-Da’alis’s predecessor, was killed in an IDF airstrike in July 2024, a strike that also targeted a Hamas command center in northern Gaza. Mushtaha had been a longtime architect of Hamas’s governance and military strategy, and his death left a vacuum that al-Da’alis filled under increasingly dire circumstances. Sources within the IDF say al-Da’alis was tracked for weeks, with intelligence pinpointing his location in a densely populated area of central Gaza—a tactic Hamas leaders often use to shield themselves, exploiting civilian presence as a deterrent.

In addition to al-Da’alis, the IDF and Shin Bet confirmed the deaths of two other senior Hamas figures in the same wave of attacks: Mahmoud Marzouk Ahmed Abu-Watfa and Bahjat Hassan Muhammad Abu-Sultan. Abu-Watfa, Hamas’s Interior Minister, was a central figure in the group’s internal security apparatus, overseeing its police forces and ensuring control over Gaza’s population through intimidation and enforcement of strict Islamist policies. Abu-Sultan, head of Hamas’s Internal Security Service, worked closely with Abu-Watfa, directing operations to suppress dissent and protect the group’s terror network from Israeli infiltration. Both were killed in separate strikes, with the IDF stating that their roles directly supported Hamas’s terrorist activities against Israel.

The operation unfolded against a backdrop of escalating violence in Gaza. Over the past day, the IDF conducted over 60 airstrikes, targeting weapons caches, tunnel entrances, and command posts across the Strip. Palestinian sources reported significant casualties, with Hamas claiming over 400 killed, though these figures remain unverified by independent sources. The strikes shattered a fragile two-month ceasefire that had been in place since January 19, 2025, following Hamas’s refusal to extend negotiations for the release of remaining Israeli hostages—believed to number around 59, with some presumed dead.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking from Jerusalem earlier today, justified the renewed offensive, accusing Hamas of “repeated refusal to release our hostages” and rejecting all proposals to extend the truce. “These strikes send a clear message: Hamas cannot hide, and we will dismantle their terror regime piece by piece,” Netanyahu said, flanked by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The operation was reportedly coordinated with the United States, with White House sources confirming that Washington was briefed in advance—a sign of the Trump administration’s continued support for Israel’s campaign against Hamas.

Among the voices reacting to the news was Noa Argamani, a former hostage freed during a daring IDF rescue in June 2024. Posting on social media, she wrote, “Two words that say so much: Thank you.” Her terse message reflects the sentiment of many Israelis who see the elimination of Hamas leaders as a step toward justice for the October 7, 2023, massacre that killed over 1,200 and saw 251 abducted.

The strikes have drawn international attention, with the United Nations’ Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, calling for an immediate reinstatement of the ceasefire. “Waves of airstrikes across Gaza since early this morning are unconscionable,” Hadi said in a statement. Hamas, meanwhile, accused Israel of attempting to force its “surrender” and labeled the U.S. “complicit” in the escalation, claims echoed by senior leader Sami Abu Zuhri in an interview with AFP.

As the dust settles over Gaza, the loss of al-Da’alis, Abu-Watfa, and Abu-Sultan leaves Hamas’s governance in disarray, though the group’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, remains active. Analysts suggest that while these killings weaken Hamas’s administrative grip, its ability to launch attacks may persist, with figures like Mohammed Sinwar—brother of the late Yahya Sinwar—still at large. For now, Israel shows no signs of slowing its campaign, with the IDF vowing to “continue striking terror targets” until Hamas is neutralized.