The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has announced that, three months ago, it killed three senior Hamas leaders in Gaza.

Among them is Rawhi Mushtaha, identified by the IDF as the head of the Hamas government in Gaza, along with Sameh al-Siraj and Sami Oudeh, who were responsible for security in Hamas.

The IDF said they were hiding in an underground compound in northern Gaza and were killed by air strikes.

Israel said Hamas did not announce the deaths “in order to prevent loss of morale and functioning of its terror operatives”.