By Vered Weiss

The IDF confirmed on Tuesday that it eliminated four out of six of the most senior Hamas officials in Gaza, including the head of the government, Essam al-Da’alis.

The other three who were killed were identified as Mahmoud Abu Watfa, director-general of Hamas’s Interior Ministry, Bahjat Abu Sultan, operational chief of Hamas’s internal security, and Hamas’s justice minister Ahmed Omar al-Hatta.

It is possible that all six were eliminated, but the fate of two others has not been confirmed.

Essam al-Da’alis had replaced Rawhi Mushtaha as head of the Hamas government after the latter was eliminated in July 2024.

“The IDF will continue to operate against the Hamas terrorist organization and remove any threat to the State of Israel,” the IDF stated.

Naji Abu Seif, widely recognized as Abu Hamza, the longtime spokesperson for the Al-Quds Brigades, the military branch of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), was also killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, according to reports.

At the time of the strike, Abu Hamza was reportedly hiding with his wives and children, all of whom perished along with him.

His death represents a major blow to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as Abu Hamza was one of the group’s most prominent figures, frequently featured in videos where he threatened Israel and lauded attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.

Israel renewed the targeted airstrikes on Tuesday after Hamas refused a proposal to release hostages and extend the ceasefire.

On Tuesday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened with his security chiefs at the IDF’s Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv to discuss the air campaign against Hamas, which had begun earlier that day, as well as the possibility of expanding the operation.

An Israeli official, speaking to The Times of Israel, stated that the Netanyahu government intends “to move forward” with an expanded military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

However, the official also emphasized that Israel will remain open to resuming hostage negotiations if Hamas shows a genuine willingness to engage in discussions.