OAN Staff James Meyers
8:48 AM – Thursday, October 3, 2024
The “right-hand man” of Hamas’ terror leader, Rawhi Mushtaha was killed in an airstrike in Gaza, Israel said Thursday.
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Mushtaha, the head of Hamas’ government in Gaza, was one of three of the terror group’s leaders confirmed dead in an earlier missile strike on an underground compound in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced for the first time Thursday.
“Mushtaha was considered to be the most senior figure in the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip, and during the war maintained civil control of the Hamas regime, while simultaneously engaging in terror activity against Israel,” the military said.
He was also “one of Hamas’ most senior operatives, and had a direct impact on decisions relating to Hamas’ force deployment,” according to the IDF.
“Mushtaha was Sinwar’s right-hand man and one of his closest associates,” the Israeli military said.
Meanwhile, Hamas’ terror leader and October 7th mastermind Yahya Sinwar is still believed to be alive and hiding somewhere in Gaza.
Mushtaha and the two other leaders confirmed dead were killed almost three months ago in a targeted strike on a fortified compound in northern Gaza, which was used as a command and control center, according to the IDF.
The others killed with Mushtaha were Sameh Al-Saraj, a Hamas senior security official, and Sami Odeh, Hamas’ general security service commander, the IDF said.
The IDF claims that Hamas didn’t announce their deaths at the time to “prevent loss of morale and the functioning of its terror operatives.”
However, it was not made clear how, or when, Israel learned of the three deaths.
Additionally, Abdel-Aziz Salha, who was a West Bank Hamas militant once jailed for the lynching of two Israel reservists, was also killed Thursday in an Israeli airstrike on a tent inside Al-Aklouk School, Gaza medics claimed.
Furthermore, the Jewish State announced it has killed 15 Hezbollah fighters in multiple airstrikes across southern Lebanon that targeted the terrorist organization’s weapons storage facilities and observation posts.
Meanwhile, Israel has shifted more of its focus in the war of late to securing its northern border with Lebanon.
Israel’s troops began “ground raids” on Hezbollah earlier this week just days after large missile strikes across the country where the terrorist organization exists.
The ground raids left eight Israeli soldiers dead after Hezbollah ambushed them in southern Lebanon, according to the IDF.
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