Marwan Issa’s Death Confirmed by Senior Hamas Official

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan confirmed on Sunday night that Marwan Issa, deputy to former Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, was eliminated in an Israeli strike earlier this year. Speaking on Hezbollah-owned Al Manar TV, Hamdan acknowledged Issa’s death alongside other senior Hamas and Hezbollah figures, referring to their loss as the “dowry for liberating Palestine.”

Issa was killed in a targeted Israeli operation in Gaza in March 2024. The IDF later confirmed his death, citing Issa’s involvement in orchestrating the October 7 massacre, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis. He was also reportedly a key figure in the 2011 Gilad Shalit hostage-prisoner swap.

Hamdan used the interview to frame the loss of senior leaders, including Issa, as a necessary sacrifice for Hamas’s cause. “The blood of these great leaders” was the price for their “great mission,” Hamdan stated, listing other prominent figures eliminated by the IDF.

He also claimed a symbolic victory for Hamas in negotiating hostage releases with Israel, stating, “[Israel] wanted to recover their prisoners by force, but now they're recovering them through negotiations.”

While reports indicated Hamas privately acknowledged Issa’s death shortly after the strike, this marks the first public admission by the group. The interview reinforces the ongoing toll Israel’s operations have taken on Hamas’s leadership, while highlighting the complexities of hostage negotiations amidst active conflict.

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