Israel eliminated more than a dozen Hamas leaders in the week after the Israeli Defense Forces resumed airstrikes and ground operations following the collapse of the ceasefire.
Many experts speculate that Israel was able to use the two-month ceasefire as an opportunity to gather intelligence about the whereabouts of Hamas leaders. Many of those killed were key to maintaining Hamas’ control over Gaza’s population, beyond just its militant operations. This signals Israel’s determination to dismantle both the group’s political and military grip on the territory.
Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened last week to annex parts of the Gaza Strip if Hamas continues to refuse to release the 59 hostages held by the terror group.
“I have instructed the IDF to seize additional areas in Gaza, evacuate the population, and expand security zones around Gaza to protect Israeli communities and IDF soldiers,” Katz said, according to The Jerusalem Post. “The more Hamas persists in its refusal to release the hostages, the more territory it will lose, which will be annexed to Israel.”
In addition to air strikes, IDF troops have begun ground activities in central and southern Gaza to create a buffer zone between the north and south of the strip.
On the first night of air strikes, Israel killed four senior Hamas officials including Essam al-Da’alis, Hamas’s political Gazan prime minister; Mahmoud Marzouk Ahmed Abu-Watfa, the Minister of Internal Affairs; Bahajat Hassan Mohammed Abu Sultan, Head of Hamas’ Internal Security Forces; and Ahmed Amar Abdullah Alhata, Hamas Minister of Justice.
Al-Da’alis was acting as a defactor prime minister and replaced Rawhi Mushtaha who was eliminated by Israel in July 2024. He was responsible for the integration of all Hamas’ branches and their uses for terrorist purposes. He also served as the key point of contact with senior Hamas terrorists outside of the strip, according to the IDF.
The next day, the IDF struck dozens of targets, eliminating Yasser Muhammad Harb Musa, who was responsible for promoting and directing terrorist activities against Israel who previously worked closely with eliminated Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, according to the IDF. Muhammad Al-Jamsi, the head of the Hamas Emergency Committee, and Yasseer Muhammad Harb Muca, the head of the Development Office in Hamas’ executive committee were also killed in the strikes.
On Thursday, the IDF announced that it eliminated Rashid Jahjuh, the head of Hamas’ General Security Forces, Ayman Atsalih, the security forces’ head for the Khan Yunis sector, and Ismail Abd al-Aal, a central terrorist in Islamic Jihad’s unit for weapons smuggling.
“Hamas’ General Security Forces, which was led by Rashid Juhjuh, is a cover central unit within Hamas,” the IDF explained. “Among other responsibilities, the unit is responsible for exposing ‘collaborators,’ safeguarding Hamas senior members and assets within Gaza and abroad, and suppressing opposition to Hamas rule.”
On Friday, Osama Tabash, the head of Hamas’ Military intelligence in southern Gaza was eliminated. According to the IDF, Tabash had a role in planning and coordinating the October 7 massacre and was responsible for rebuilding Hamas’ military capabilities over the last year.
“His elimination impairs Hamas’ intelligence-gathering capabilities and its attempt to harm IDF troops operating in the area,” the IDF said in a statement.
Over the weekend, the IDF announced the elimination of Salah Bardawil, the head of Hamas’ planning and development office in the southern Gaza Strip.
“Bardawil served as a senior terrorist in Hamas’ political bureau, and as part of his role, directed the strategic and military planning of the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza strip,” the IDF said in a statement. “This elimination further degrades Hamas’ military and government capabilities.”
The deputy commander of Hamas’ Gaza Brigade, Ahmad Salman ‘Awj Shimali, who helped build the brigade’s force in preparation for October 7, and the commander of Hamas’ Shejaiya Battalion, Jamil Wadiya, were also eliminated.
In another attack on Sunday, Israel used precise munitions to target the Nasser Hospital compound following an “extensive intelligence-gathering process,” which resulted in the elimination of Ismail Barhoum, the head of Hamas’ finances and institutions in its political bureau who succeeded al-Da’alis and was acting in the capacity of a prime minister.
“This is yet another example of the way that the Hamas terrorist organization systemically violated international law while taking over civilian infrastructure in a manner that prevents the rehabilitation and livelihood of the Gazan population, and while brutally exploiting the civilian population as a human shield for its terror attacks against the State of Israel,” the IDF said in a statement.
On Monday, the IDF announced that it struck over 100 pickup trucks that were used for terrorist purposes, including ones used in the October 7 attack.
Hamas shot a few rockets at Israel including on Monday, all of which fell in open areas or were intercepted by the IDF.
