Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the death of Isam Daalis, Gaza’s de facto prime minister, in an airstrike on March 18, 2025. Daalis, a senior Hamas official, was among several high-ranking Hamas leaders targeted and killed in the attack.
Isam Daalis, the de facto prime minister of Hamas-controlled Gaza, was killed in an Israeli airstrike early Tuesday morning, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The IDF announced that the operation, which targeted dozens of sites across Gaza, aimed at disrupting Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities. Along with Daalis, other top Hamas officials—Ahmed al-Khatta, the director-general of the Ministry of Justice, Mahmoud Abu Watfa, head of Gaza’s Ministry of Interior, and Bahjat Abu Sultan, head of Hamas’s internal security forces—were also reported dead.
Daalis had assumed his position in July 2024, following the assassination of his predecessor, Rouhi Mushtaha, by Israeli forces. As de facto prime minister, Daalis was responsible for overseeing the administration of Gaza and coordinating operations across various Hamas branches. The IDF stated that these airstrikes were intended to eliminate threats posed by Hamas to Israel and its citizens.
Liberty News’ international correspondent states that the attack comes after a ceasefire had already been broken, with airstrikes intensifying early on March 18. As a result of the bombings, at least 404 people have been confirmed dead, with numbers expected to rise. Hundreds more have been injured, the majority of them women and children. The international community continues to express concern over the escalating violence and its devastating humanitarian toll on Gaza.
LND/BG
