Israeli army confirms death of 'right-hand man' of Hamas leader Sinwar

jerusalem - The Israeli army has confirmed that they killed Rawhi Mushtaha. In early August, the London-based newspaper Asharq al Aswat reported that Israel had bombed a tunnel under the Gaza Strip, killing Mushtaha and Al Siraj.

In 2012, Mushtaha joined the leadership of Hamas. He was a veteran member and one of the founders of Hamas' military wing, the Izz al Din al Qassem Brigades, in the 1980s. The brigades are named after a Syrian fighter against British and French colonial rule and against the establishment of a Jewish state, Izz al Din al Qassam (1882-1935). Al Siraj was reportedly a Hamas expert in finance, armament, and electronic warfare.

Mushtaha was described as one of the most prominent members of Hamas and one of Sinwar's closest associates. In 2015, the US State Department designated him as a 'specially designated terrorist.' Hamas did not announce the deaths of the officials to prevent 'loss of morale and the functioning of its terror operations'.