Marwan Issa: Hamas and Israel silent on fate of commander announced dead by US
Hamas and Israel have remained silent on the fate of a senior military figure of the Palestinian group after his alleged death was unusually announced by the United States.
During a press conference on Monday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said: “Israel has made significant progress against Hamas… Hamas’ number three, Marwan Issa, was killed in an operation last week.”
While Israel has acknowledged an attempted assassination of Issa, it has stopped short of confirming his death. The Israeli military did not respond to MEE's request for comment on Sullivan's claim and Issa's reported death.
Unnamed Israeli officials told Yediot Ahronot following Sullivan’s remarks that they were still "not 100 percent sure" Issa had been killed.
The officials said they believed his death was "very likely" but preferred to be cautious.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Hamas has not officially commented on the reported strike against Issa, which the Israeli military says took place between 10-11 March in the central Gaza Strip's Nuseirat refugee camp.
'Unproven claims'
Last week, a day after the attempted killing was announced, senior Hamas political leader Mohammad Nazzal said in an interview with Al Jazeera that Israeli reports were “unproven claims without evidence”.
However, Nazzal added that such matters are handled by the military wing of the group, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
'Even though the occupation watches us around the clock, the resistance in Palestine will surprise our enemies and allies, God willing'
- Marwan Issa, speaking in 2021
The al-Qassam Brigades typically announce the death of senior leaders once they are confirmed, including some lower-ranking generals killed during the current war.
According to Yediot Ahronot, Israeli reluctance to confirm Issa’s death stems from previous premature conclusions about the success of assassination attempts that later turned out to be untrue.
The most recent incident was the attack on Rouhi Mushtaha, a member of the Hamas political bureau.
Mushtaha was believed to be killed in an Israeli air strike late last year but he later emerged alive.
Second-in-command
Issa, 59, is the deputy to Mohammed al-Dief, the general commander of the al-Qassam Brigades, and his right-hand man.
He is considered one of the most senior military figures in the group, though little is known about him.
The Israeli army failed to assassinate him in three previous attempts in 2006, 2014 and 2021.
Born in the Bureij camp to Palestinian refugees from what is now Ashkelon in Israel, Issa joined Hamas at a young age.
He was arrested by Israeli forces in 1987 at the onset of the first Palestinian Intifada and spent five years in prison.
In 1997, he was detained by the Palestinian Authority and spent another three years behind bars.
Issa rose through the ranks of Hamas in the following years and became a close confidant of Ahmed al-Jaabari, the former second-in-command of the Qassam Brigades, who was killed in an Israeli air strike in 2012.
Along with Jaabari, Issa was instrumental in the indirect negotiations with Israel that led to the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange, which saw more than 1,027 Palestinian prisoners swapped for one Israeli soldier.
Gerhard Conrad, a former German intelligence officer who coordinated the negotiations, described Issa as a “meticulous and careful analyst” in an interview with Al Jazeera.
Issa was the head of Jaabari’s team in charge of coordinating the list of prisoners to be exchanged, according to Conrad.
Despite his high rank, Issa has made very few appearances in public over the years. His face was not known before he was pictured during the reception of the prisoners released in the 2011 deal.
In 2021, he appeared in a rare interview with Al Jazeera that did not show his face.
“Even though the occupation watches us around the clock, the resistance in Palestine will surprise our enemies and allies, God willing,” Issa said at the time.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
