Israel Launches Fresh Gaza Strikes, Killing Top Hamas Figures

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In one of the deadliest escalations since the war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip early Tuesday morning killed several senior Hamas political and military leaders, according to Palestinian sources.

On Monday night, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, an operation the Prime Minister’s Office stated was a direct response to Hamas's refusal to release the remaining hostages.

By Tuesday morning, Hamas claimed that the strikes had resulted in over 365 fatalities and nearly 1,000 injuries, with the majority of the casualties being women and children. Many victims remain trapped beneath the debris of destroyed residential buildings as rescue teams face immense challenges in recovering bodies and delivering urgent medical assistance amid the devastation.

According to Palestinian media sources and Sky News Arabia, five senior Hamas officials were among those killed in the recent airstrikes.

The identified casualties include Essam al-Dalis, head of the Hamas Government in Gaza; Mahmoud Abu Watfa, who served as the director-general of Hamas’s Interior Ministry; Abu Obeidah Muhammad al-Jamasi, a member of Hamas’s political bureau; Ahmed Omar al-Hatta, a high-ranking leader; and Bahjat Abu Sultan, who was responsible for overseeing the group’s internal security operations.

Details of the Senior Members Killed

Among the senior Hamas officials killed, Essam al-Dalis was one of the most influential figures. Born in Jabalia in 1966, he later settled in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp in central Gaza. His rise within Hamas accelerated in March 2021 when he was elected to the group’s leadership in Gaza. By June of the same year, he was appointed as the head of Hamas’s government administration in the enclave.

According to European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), before assuming his leadership role in Gaza’s administration, al-Dalis served as the president of the Union of UNRWA Employees in Gaza. He was also a key advisor to Ismail Haniyeh, the former Palestinian Authority prime minister and a central figure within Hamas.

Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on July 31, 2024. While Israel initially refrained from confirming responsibility for the killing, the Israeli defense minister later acknowledged in December of the same year that Israel had carried out the assassination of Hamas’s political leader in the Iranian capital.

As for al-Dalis, the Israeli military announced in November 2023 that it had struck a Hamas facility where he was allegedly present. The airstrike reportedly killed other senior Hamas leaders, including Rawhi Mushtaha and Samih al-Saraj. Early reports suggested that al-Dalis was also among those killed, with Hamas allegedly confirming his death in early 2025. However, as a new wave of airstrikes targeted high-ranking Hamas figures on Tuesday, al-Dalis was once again reported among those eliminated, further solidifying the extent of the Israeli campaign against Hamas’s leadership.

Ahmed Omar al-Hatta, known as "Abu Omar," reportedly served as the director-general of Hamas's Justice Ministry and was involved in strengthening the Islamic legal system in Gaza.

Bahjat Abu Sultan was responsible for Hamas's internal operations in Gaza and previously held the position of director-general of the Organization and Administration Authority in Hamas's Interior Ministry.

Mahmoud Abu Watfa was the director-general of Hamas's Interior Ministry in Gaza. Reports suggest his family was also killed in the strike on his Gaza home.

Abu Obeidah Muhammad al-Jamasi served as an administrative head of Hamas. His last public appearance was before the October 7 attack, and he had not been seen since.

Israeli officials have not publicly commented on the targeted assassinations but have repeatedly stated their intent to dismantle Hamas’ leadership and military infrastructure through sustained aerial and ground operations.

Tuesday’s air strikes come amid growing international calls for a ceasefire. However, Israeli forces have maintained that military operations will persist as long as Hamas continues to resist a negotiated truce and release the remaining 59 hostages held in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the strikes were ordered due to a lack of progress in extending the ceasefire, while Defense Minister Israel Katz affirmed that military operations would continue until all hostages were released.

Hamas accused Israel of upending the ceasefire agreement and said the renewed strikes had put the fate of the remaining hostages in jeopardy. The militant group initially abducted 251 people during the October 7 attack, killing approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians. In response, Israeli air strikes and military operations in Gaza have resulted in more than 48,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Status of the Hostages

The ongoing conflict remains closely linked to the hostage situation, with reports indicating that a total of 251 individuals were captured during the October 7, 2023 attack. Additionally, two hostages had been taken before the attack—one in 2014 and another in 2015—along with the bodies of two soldiers killed in the 2014 war.

So far, 147 hostages have been released through exchanges or other agreements, including eight who were deceased. Currently, 59 hostages remain in captivity, with Israeli authorities believing that 35 of them are dead. Israeli forces have also retrieved the bodies of 41 hostages and successfully rescued eight alive.

Among those still held captive, 13 are Israeli soldiers, nine of whom Israel has declared dead. Five of the hostages are non-Israelis, including three Thai nationals, one Nepalese, and one Tanzanian. Of these, one Thai and one Nepalese national are believed to still be alive.

Additionally, a Hamas official allegedly claimed that an Israeli hostage was killed and two others were injured due to Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, as reported by al-Hadath TV.

The source did not provide further details on the identity of the hostage or the circumstances of the strike, but the report comes amid intensified Israeli bombardment targeting various locations in Gaza.

As the war rages on, international mediators continue to push for renewed ceasefire talks, though both sides remain deeply entrenched in their positions. With mounting casualties and continued military action, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening, raising concerns about the long-term implications of the ongoing conflict.

Update at 02:59 PM, on Tuesday, Mar. 18, 2025