The IDF and ISA Eliminated Rawhi Mushtaha, Head of Hamas Government in Gaza Strip

From: Israel Foreign Ministry
@IsraelMFA
Joint IDF and ISA announcement:

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐃𝐅 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐒𝐀 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐚𝐰𝐡𝐢 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐭𝐚𝐡𝐚, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐳𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩

The IDF and ISA currently announce that approximately three months ago, in a joint IDF and ISA strike in the Gaza Strip, the following terrorists were eliminated: Rawhi Mushtaha, the Head of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip; Sameh al-Siraj, who held the security portfolio on Hamas’ political bureau and Hamas’ Labor Committee; and Sami Oudeh, Commander of Hamas’ General Security Mechanism.

During a precise IDF and ISA intelligence-based strike, IAF fighter jets struck and eliminated the terrorists while they were hiding in a fortified and equipped underground compound in the northern Gaza Strip.

The compound served as a Hamas command and control center and enabled senior operatives to remain inside of it for extended periods of time.

The compound was managed by senior members of Hamas’ General Security Mechanism and functioned as a hideout for the Hamas leadership, led by Mushtaha.

Following the strike on the compound and the elimination of the terrorists, Hamas did not announce their deaths as it had done following previous eliminations, in order to prevent loss of morale and functioning of its terror operatives.

Rawhi Mushtaha was one of Hamas’ most senior operatives and had a direct impact on decisions relating to Hamas’ force deployment. Mushtaha was involved in military decisions while also acting as the Head of Hamas Civil Governance in the Gaza Strip and holding the Prisoners Affairs Portfolio. He also formerly held the finance portfolio.

Mushtaha, alongside Yahya Sinwar, established Hamas’ General Security Mechanism. They served a prison sentence together in an Israeli jail. 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 terrorist activity against Israel. Mushtaha was Sinwar’s right-hand man and one of his closest associates.