American intelligence likely assisted Israel in targeting senior Hamas member Marwan Issa who was killed in Gaza earlier this month, according to a report on NBC News. Israeli and American officials told the network on Thursday that Israel obtained a trove of intelligence on Hamas during the ground operation in Gaza, providing it with a detailed image of the internal workings of the terror group.
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The intelligence gathered from hard drives, cellphones, laptops, maps, and other materials, as well as electronic eavesdropping conducted by the U.S., most likely assisted Israel in locating and eliminating Hamas’ No. 3 official, Marwan Issa, the officials added.
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Marwan Issa and the scene of the airstrike in Gaza where he was believed to be staying
“They have more understanding and intelligence on Hamas than they ever had before,” said Matthew Levitt, a former senior official in the Treasury and State departments and now a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
“They have the HR [human resources] files and more. So their understanding of what Hamas was able to do is much, much more granular,” Levitt added.
“They have put a lot of pressure on Hamas’ leadership and capabilities, and they absolutely have taken advantage and are exploiting materials for additional intelligence and information,” a senior Biden administration official said. “They have definitely taken advantage of the material that they’ve been able to collect."
Israel has not officially confirmed that Issa was killed in the military operations led by the IDF and the Shin Bet at the beginning of last week in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the center of the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hinted at his assassination, and since then, indications of this have only intensified.