The Death of the Deputy Commander of Al-Qassam Brigade, Who was Marwan Issa?

White House official and US President Joe Biden’s National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan has said that Marwan Issa, the leader of Hamas and Deputy Commander in Chief of al-Qassam Brigades, has been killed in an Israeli airstrike.

This is the death of the most senior Hamas leader since the war began on October 7. Marwan Isa was the deputy commander of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.

Hamas, the Palestinian group that controls Gaza, has not yet officially commented on the killing.

On the other hand, on Monday, US President Joe Biden discussed the direction of the war with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he was informed about US concerns.

According to Israeli media, Marwan Isa was killed a week ago when an Israeli airstrike hit a network of tunnels under the Nuseirat refugee camp.

Who was Marwan Issa?

Marwan Issa, the deputy commander-in-chief of Hamas’s military wing, Izzuddin al-Qassam Brigades, was on Israel’s most wanted list. After the October 7 attack, the European Union decided to blacklist Al-Qassam Brigade Commander Muhammad Al-Daif and Deputy Commander Marwan Issa.

According to the European Union, Marwan Issa was directly involved in the October 7 attack by Hamas that killed nearly 1,200 Israelis and the subsequent Israeli operations in Gaza.

He was imprisoned by Israel for five years during the first intifada and detained by the Palestinian Authority in 1997 until the start of the second intifada in 2000.

The Israeli army has killed several senior Hamas leaders since October 7. The political leader of Hamas, Saleh al-Aruri, was killed in an explosion in Beirut. It is believed that Israel was responsible for this attack.

In year 1965, Marwan Issa was born in al-Brij refugee camp in the heart of the Gaza Strip. We don’t have that much information in his early life. After the establishment of Hamas, he joined it in 1987. According to various sources, he has also worked in the special operations unit of Al-Qassam Brigade.

Marwan Issa was imprisoned by Israel for five years. According to the Arab Center for Studies of Radicalization, in 2006 he escaped an alleged assassination attempt by the Israeli army.

On June 25, 2006, Hamas detained 19-year-old Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. In October 2011, 1,027 Palestinians from Israeli prisons were released under a prisoner exchange program. Marwan Issa is believed to have played an important role in this process of conversion.

He was never seen before 2011. Then, during the exchange of prisoners, his picture came to light.

During November 14, 2012, Israel carried out airstrikes on Gaza, in which the deputy commander of Al-Qassam Brigade, Ahmed Al-Jaberi, was killed. Marwan Issa was also attacked but escaped and was appointed the new deputy commander of the brigade.

His house was destroyed twice during the bombing of Gaza by Israeli planes in 2014 and 2021. His brother was also killed in an incident.

According to al-Akbar, a newspaper considered close to Hezbollah, in January 2019, Hamas officials discovered spy equipment in a house next to Marwan Isa’s residence. This was not the first time that Israel had tried to reach Issa.

Hamas also claimed that an Israeli agent planted a spying device in the car of one of Marwan Issa’s associates. According to him, Ehant admitted that he received the device from Israel, which he hid inside the vehicle. It was claimed that the purpose of the device was to spy on in-vehicle conversations and track the car.

A spying device was also installed on the private communication network in the area where Issa’ house is located. In December last year, Palestinian sources claimed that Marwan Issa’s son Muhammad was killed in an Israeli bombardment.

About Marwan, an Israeli newspaper shared a picture of him from the 2021 election. It was attended by Hamas leaders in the political bureau of Hamas. In this picture, only Marwan Issa was wearing a mask to prevent covid and he was standing farthest away.

Meanwhile, Marwan Issa always threatened that changes in the system of Al-Aqsa Mosque would have serious consequences. He said that the political project in the West Bank is over, the enemy has ended the Oslo Accords and the coming days will be eventful.

He also said that the Al-Qassam Brigade is continuously strengthening and it is working on a strategy of resistance to defend the people through direct intervention.