Mr. Issa was described by Palestinian analysts and former Israeli security officials as an important strategist who played a key role as a liaison between Hamas’s military and political leaders.
An Israeli strike in Beirut in early January killed Saleh al-Arouri, the commander of Hamas operations in Judea and Samaria and deputy politburo chief under Hamas chairman Ismail Haniyeh.
Other Hamas terror leaders in Israel’s sights include Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip and the mastermind of the Oct. 7 attacks, Yahya Sinwar, along with his younger brother Mohammed, commander of Hamas’s Khan Yunis Brigade; Haniyeh, head of Hamas’s politburo, who is based in Doha; Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas’s military wing; and Zaher Jabarin, one of the longest-serving members of Hamas, who served as al-Arouri’s deputy and is the terror group’s key financier.
