US confirms death of senior Hamas official
A senior Hamas official was recently killed by an Israel airstrike, the US confirmed on March 18.
During a White House press briefing, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said, “Hamas’ number three, Marwan Issa, was killed in an Israeli operation last week (March 11).”
Often referred to as the militants’ “number three”, Mr Issa was the deputy commander of Hamas’ military wing. He is believed to have been killed in a strike on a tunnel in Nuseirat, central Gaza.
Issa had long been engaging in a game of hide and seek, evading the IDF and rarely making public appearances.
Sullivan also stressed the “importance” of defeating the Gaza-controlling group, designated as a terror organisation in the United States and a handful of other countries worldwide, and claimed that numerous top officials were “in hiding” in tunnel networks.
“The rest of the top leaders are in hiding, likely deep in the Hamas tunnel network, and justice will come for them too. We are helping to ensure that.”
It is no secret that the US is a strong Israeli ally however the shockingly immense civilian death toll in Gaza has become indefensible, even for Washington.
READ: Israel claims to have killed a top Hamas official in West Bank
During stagnant ceasefire negotiations in Cairo, President Biden said that he was hopeful of a six-week halt in the fighting before the start of Ramadan (March 10). He has also noted that if such a move failed to happen, the situation in the region will be “very very dangerous”.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has expressed his shock at the death rate in Gaza and called for an end to collective punishment against the Palestinian people.
32,000 have been killed in the bloodstained enclave since October 7.
During a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 18, it is understood that Biden pressed his counterpart on Israel’s actions in Gaza however stressed , “his bone-deep commitment to ensuring the long-term security of Israel and reaffirming that Israel has a right to go after Hamas, the perpetrators of the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”
Over recent days, Netanyahu has been subject to American criticism notably, from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer who said on March 14 that the premier should call elections because he had “lost his way” and was “an obstruction to peace”.
In response, the far-right politician insisted that Schumer’s remarks were inappropriate and that it would be irresponsible for Israel to hold elections at this current time.
Daily Mail
