Israel’s IDF Arabic spokeswoman, Lt. Col. Ella Waouya, said on Wednesday that the position of commander of Hamas’s military wing has become “the shortest-lived position in Gaza,” adding that the question is no longer who will be targeted next but “how long they have left.”
In a pointed statement aimed at Arabic-speaking audiences, Waouya framed Israel’s ongoing campaign as systematically dismantling Hamas’s senior military leadership. She said successive commanders of the group’s armed wing had been hunted down and killed, arguing that the role now carries an almost certain death sentence.
“The commander of Hamas’s military wing has become the shortest-lived position in Gaza,” Waouya said, underscoring Israel’s message that no senior militant figure is beyond its reach. “The question is no longer who’s next – but how long they have left,” she added, casting future appointments to the post as a countdown to their elimination.
Her comments reflect Israel’s attempt to project deterrence by highlighting the personal risk to anyone assuming top positions within Hamas’s armed structure. The statement also appears designed to sow doubt and fear within the group’s ranks, suggesting that leadership changes will not shield it from targeted operations.
Waouya’s remarks come against the backdrop of continued Israeli military activity in and around Gaza, where Israel says it is pursuing Hamas’s operational networks and command hierarchy. The rhetoric signals that Israel intends to keep pressure on the group’s senior figures, presenting each new commander as stepping into a role marked by rapid and deadly turnover.
