Egypt Daily News – How Did Israel Assassinate Resistance Leaders in Gaza? Israel has reignited the conflict by resuming its military operations in the Palestinian enclave. This move comes as part of Israel’s threats to Hamas, warning that the “gates of hell” would open if the group did not release all captives held in Gaza.
Since the Israeli military resumed its offensive at dawn on Tuesday, at least 970 Palestinians have been killed, and 678 others injured. Among the casualties were high-ranking officials and leaders from Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Hamas announced on Tuesday that at least five of its top leaders had been assassinated, along with their family members. Among them was Issam Al-Da’alis, head of Hamas’ government in Gaza and a member of the group’s political bureau. An Israeli airstrike targeted a house he was in, killing three of his children and two grandchildren.
Other assassinated figures include Major General Mahmoud Abu Wafah, Deputy Minister of Interior, and Abu Ubaida Al-Jamassi, a Hamas political bureau member and head of the emergency committee. He, too, was killed along with his family members in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Gaza City.
Additionally, Palestinian reports confirmed the assassination of Brigadier General Bahjat Abu Sultan, head of the Organization and Administration Authority at the Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza, and Ahmed Omar Al-Hatta, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice in the Hamas-led government.
The Islamic Jihad Movement and its military wing, Al-Quds Brigades, also mourned the assassination of their military spokesman, Naji Saif (Abu Hamza), stating: “With great pride and honor, the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine announces to our great Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic nations the martyrdom of leader Abu Hamza, who was assassinated in a treacherous attack by the criminal army that also targeted his family and that of his brother.”
The question remains: how did Israel manage to target these high-ranking figures in Hamas and Islamic Jihad? Was it due to intelligence leaks, or were security measures relaxed?
Political analyst and Middle East affairs expert Hassan Merhej argues that Israel’s resumption of war after a period of calm suggests an escalation is imminent. He believes Israeli intelligence gathered precise information on the whereabouts of these leaders, which enabled the success of these operations.
“Israel often relies on a network of local sources and intelligence gathering to track the movements and locations of armed faction leaders,” Merhej explained. “Following the ceasefire, Israeli security agencies continued monitoring those who remained from the leadership, particularly as they may have felt less pressure than before. This provided Israel with an advantage in tracking them. It appears Israel is determined to eliminate Hamas and Islamic Jihad entirely.”
On the other hand, Palestinian writer and political analyst Abdel Mahdi Matuwa’ disputes the notion that intelligence leaks led to these assassinations. He argues that the targeted leaders were already well-known figures rather than secret operatives.
Matuwa’ suggests that Hamas leaders became complacent, believing that U.S. pressure would prevent Israel from resuming its military operations in Gaza. “There was a sense of security among Hamas members, which led them to return to their homes or to places that were less secure than their previous locations,” he said.
He also pointed out that Israel had recently refreshed its intelligence on the whereabouts of these figures. “The destruction of homes in Gaza forced a significant portion of the population to relocate to northern areas of the enclave. This made it easier for Israel to track individuals in other locations.”
As the conflict continues to escalate, the latest wave of targeted assassinations raises serious concerns about the vulnerability of resistance leaders and the methods Israel employs to track them.
