The IDF may have assassinated senior Hamas leader Marwan Issa in an airstrike in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip overnight Motzei Shabbos, Channel 12 News reported on Monday morning.

There were reports in Gaza on Sunday about IDF airstrikes in Nuseirat which left five dead and others injured but their identities are currently unknown. Hamas is investigating whether Issa, who was believed to be in hiding in Nuseirat, is among the dead.

Israeli security officials have not commented on the reports.

If Issa was eliminated, it would be the assassination of the most senior Hamas terrorist in the Gaza Strip.

According to the Channel 12 report, Issa, considered the No. 3 Hamas leader, is known as one of the most dangerous and cruel Hamas terrorists, responsible for the planning of numerous terror attacks in Israel. He maintained a low media profile over the years and rarely appeared in public.

Issa, 59, served as the deputy of Muhammad Deif, the head of Hamas’s military wing, and was responsible for communications between the military and political wings, a position that carries considerable power in both wings.

In January, IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee published photos of Issa’s vacation home in Bureij in central Gaza featuring a swimming pool, grassy lawns, and luxurious furniture amid the war.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)