The children of senior Hamas leaders remaining in Gaza have reportedly been in Israel's crosshairs since the outbreak of the war. However, according to Arab media reports, targeted killings of these individuals have only intensified in recent weeks.
“Being the child of a Hamas leader grants significant social status in Gaza, even amid public anger against them,” sources in Gaza said. “These families often have access to resources, know how to hide effectively and can secure food and shelter. They are also well-acquainted with Gaza's infrastructure, some of which Israel has yet to reach.”
The first reported assassination occurred on December 28, when the IDF killed Muhammad Issa, the son of Marwan Issa, then deputy head of Hamas’ military wing and the organization's third-ranking leader. Both father and son were killed in separate strikes. Muhammad, who had been battling cancer for years, had unsuccessfully sought medical evacuation from Gaza prior to the war.
In April, Israeli forces struck a significant blow by eliminating three sons and three grandchildren of Ismail Haniyeh, the former head of Hamas' political bureau. The six were killed in a targeted strike on the Shati refugee camp in western Gaza. Haniyeh himself was later reported killed in Tehran.
In November, Ala’a and Baha’a Barhoum, sons of senior Hamas figure Fawzi Barhoum, were killed in an Israeli strike on the Al-Taba’in school in Gaza City. According to local sources, they were there to deliver salaries to Hamas personnel.
August saw the killing of Ismail Nofal, the son of Ayman Nofal, a commander in Hamas' military wing and a close associate of Mohammed Deif. Both father and son were killed in separate airstrikes, with Ayman Nofal eliminated early in the war.
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Sources told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that Israel conducted a drone strike in the Jabaliya refugee camp last month, killing Taher Ghandour, the son of Ahmed Ghandour, the commander of northern Gaza and head of Hamas' rocket program. Ahmed Ghandour was killed in November 2022 in a tunnel strike in Jabaliya.
Other recent casualties include Imad Salman, son of Rafat Salman, a former senior military operative in northern Gaza; Sohaib and Hassan Rajab, sons of Wael Rajab, a deputy commander who was also killed in Jabaliya; and Ahmad Abu Askar, son of Mohammed Abu Askar, Hamas' administrative chief in the camp.
Broader operations
Among other targeted killings, Israel eliminated Mohammed Al-Sharafi, son of Youssef Al-Sharafi, a senior Hamas political bureau member; Ibrahim Harb, son of Yasser Harb, another political bureau member; and Sohaib Al-Biyari, son of a prominent commander in Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, and Ibrahim Mohammed Sinwar, a nephew of Yahya Sinwar.
Israel has reportedly attempted to assassinate Muamin Al-Jabari, son of Ahmed Al-Jabari, a former deputy of Mohammed Deif who was assassinated in 2012. That attempt was unsuccessful.
Additionally, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Israel recently killed one of Deif’s brothers in a strike on his Khan Younis residence.
The intensifying campaign reflects Israel’s strategy of targeting the inner circle of Hamas leadership, aiming to disrupt the organization’s infrastructure and command network while also addressing the families’ roles in Gaza’s conflict dynamics.