White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed Monday that Hamas’ no. 2 military leader Marwan Issa died in an Israeli air strike, addressing reporters after a high-stakes call between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where he said Biden pressed for an “end game” and criticized plans to invade Rafah as a “mistake.”
President Joe Biden pleaded with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a “coherent and ... [+]
Issa’s death marks the highest-ranking leader of the Gaza-based militant group to die since Israel’s war with Hamas began on Oct. 7.
According to Sullivan, Biden told Netanyahu that Israel has the “right to go after Hamas,” but expressed concern over the rising death toll in Gaza and called Israel’s planned ground operation in Rafah, where Palestinians had been seeking refuge, a “mistake.”
Sullivan said Biden also called on Israel to create a “clear, strategic end game” for the war, though he did not get into the details on a potential plan.
Netanyahu confirmed the call in a post on X, saying the two leaders “discussed the latest developments in the war,” including Israel’s stated goals of eliminating Hamas, freeing the hostages taken by the militant group on its Oct. 7 attack, and “ensuring that Gaza never [again] constitutes a threat to Israel while providing necessary humanitarian aid that will assist in achieving these goals.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
No. 2 Hamas Military Leader Possibly Dead After Israeli Air Strike (Forbes)