Israel threatens to assassinate four more Hamas figures

Following a series of assassinations of prominent Hamas leaders, and public threats by Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz to target two more—military commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad and political leader Khalil al-Hayya—Israeli security sources revealed that the targeted list also includes other names, such as Osama Hamdan and Sami Abu Zuhri.

Under the headline "These are Hamas's top leaders, and they are in the Israeli army's crosshairs," the Maariv newspaper said that after a series of assassinations that included the heads of the movement's political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, four leaders are "next in line": Hamdan, who is in Lebanon; Abu Zuhri, who is in Algeria; Haddad; and even al-Hayya, who is leading the negotiations.

The army and the Shin Bet security service issued a statement earlier this week threatening to assassinate Al-Hayya as well as Al-Haddad, a leader in the Al-Qassam Brigades, the movement's military wing.

"Izz al-Din al-Haddad is in Gaza, and Khalil al-Hayya is abroad... you're next in line," Katz said in a statement released by his office last Saturday, alluding to the fate of Hamas leaders assassinated by Israel: Ismail Haniyeh, Mohammed Deif, and Yahya and Mohammed Sinwar.

Maariv published a report stating that after it was confirmed that the operation carried out three weeks ago, in which eight tons of explosives were dropped on a tunnel under the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, had killed Mohammed Sinwar, who had taken over the leadership of the military wing in Gaza after the assassination of his brother Yahya, and his companion Mohammed Shabana, commander of the Rafah Brigade, and Mahdi Kaware, commander of the southern Khan Yunis battalion, the arrows were directed at Al-Haddad, who survived that attack.

Al-Haddad has been nicknamed "the Ghost" due to the failure of multiple assassination attempts, the last of which occurred last February. The army and Shin Bet published a photo of him with a death symbol over it, along with the words in Arabic: "Al-Haddad will meet his comrades Haniyeh, Deif, and Sinwar."

Maariv reported that the next target is Osama Hamdan, who is overseeing the negotiations and previously headed the organization in Lebanon. He has become Hamas's spokesman since the war and spends most of his time in Qatar. He will be followed by Sami Abu Zuhri, who currently resides in Algeria and frequently appears in the media. Then there is Khalil al-Hayya, who is effectively heading the organization until a new leader is elected after the war.

After the Israeli military and Shin Bet announced the deaths of Mohammed Sinwar, Mohammed Shabana, and Mahdi Kaware, Katz issued a threat on Saturday evening, writing: "Izz al-Din al-Haddad in Gaza, and Khalil al-Hayya abroad—you're next on the list." He said in a statement: "Israel's long hand will reach all those responsible for the murders and atrocities of October 7, wherever they may be, near or far."

Al-Haddad, nicknamed "Abu Suhaib," is the commander of the Gaza City Brigade of the military wing and a veteran of its combat operations. During the war, he was considered the de facto commander of the northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military estimates that, following the assassination of senior military commanders, he has become Hamas's official commander in the Gaza Strip.

Remarkably, the threat included Al-Hayya (Abu Osama), head of Hamas's political bureau in Gaza, a member of the movement's leadership council, and its deputy chairman. He is a political leader currently residing in the Qatari capital, Doha, and the threat to assassinate him constitutes an assault on the sovereignty of the state mediating between Israel and Hamas.