U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed on Monday that Israel has successfully killed a top Hamas commander, Marwan Issa. Sullivan stated that Israel has made significant progress against Hamas, breaking battalions and eliminating thousands of Hamas fighters.
The confirmation of Issa’s death comes after Israeli forces launched a raid on Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where they killed Faiq Mabhouh, Hamas’ top official in internal security. The Israeli military accused Hamas militants of using the hospital as a base for their operations.
Sullivan emphasized that Hamas fighters were using civilian facilities, including hospitals, to store weapons and house fighters, making it challenging for Israel to combat the insurgency. He also mentioned growing concerns within the Biden administration over Israel’s prospective offensive in the southern city of Rafah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to send a team of officials to Washington to discuss the situation with the Biden administration. Biden questioned Netanyahu over the lack of a coherent strategy to defeat Hamas, and White House officials have warned that they would not support an operation in Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of innocent Palestinian civilians.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in significant casualties, with Gaza’s Health Ministry reporting over 31,000 Palestinians killed, two-thirds of whom are women and children. The situation remains tense, with ongoing efforts to negotiate a ceasefire and provide humanitarian aid to those affected by the conflict.
