An online message from a senior Hamas leader says one of the militant group’s members has been assassinated in Damascus

Izzat Risheq, a senior Hamas leader, wrote on his Facebook page that Kamal Ghanaja, also known as Nizar Abu Mujahed, was assassinated on Wednesday night in the Syrian capital. Risheq said Hamas was working to identify the assassin and that Ghanaja’s blood “shall not be shed in vain”.

He had no details on how Ghanaja died. Hamas did not report the assassination on its official media outlets.

Israeli media reported that Ghanaja was shot to death in his home and was a former deputy of slain Hamas operative Mahmud al-Mabhuh.

Israel is widely suspected of having assassinated Mabhuh in a Dubai hotel in 2010, though it has never confirmed or denied involvement.