Israel Kills Hamas Armed Wing Commander Mohammed Odeh in Gaza Strike

Israeli air attacks in Gaza on Tuesday killed at least three Palestinians and left dozens injured after a strike hit the upper three floors of the al-Kayali building in the centre of Gaza City, where streets were busy with shoppers ahead of Eid al-Adha.

“Israeli air attacks have killed at least seven people in Gaza, Palestinian health authorities said, as Israel continues to violate the “ceasefire” during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha”

Al Jazeera

The BBC said Netanyahu’s office earlier stated the Israeli military had targeted Hamas’s armed wing commander Mohammed Odeh, days after his predecessor was killed in a similar attack earlier in May.

Al Jazeera

In parallel, Anadolu Ajansı reported that Israeli strikes on the eve of Eid al-Adha killed nine Palestinians, with victims including two whose bodies were burned in a strike targeting a civilian vehicle west of Khan Younis.

Anadolu Ajansı also said the attacks targeted a residential building containing shops, the roof of another residential building in Gaza City’s busiest commercial area, a civilian vehicle and a gathering of civilians in central and southern Gaza, and that three Palestinians, including a woman, were killed and 20 others injured after warplanes struck a residential building in Gaza City’s southern Rimal neighborhood west of Gaza City.

The BBC added that rescue teams struggled to reach the upper floors because of the scale of the damage and congestion in the area, while witnesses said at least five missiles struck the building almost simultaneously from different directions.

Israel’s claim that it targeted Hamas’s armed wing leadership came as Netanyahu’s office said the IDF targeted Mohammed Odeh and described him as "one of the architects" of Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks.

The BBC reported that Netanyahu’s office said the statement continued: "Odeh was responsible for the murder, abduction, and wounding of many Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers," while also noting that neither Hamas nor Israel commented on whether Odeh was killed in the attack.

Anadolu Ajansı

TRT World said Israel claimed it targeted the new chief of Hamas’s armed wing in a strike in Gaza on Tuesday, after heavy Israeli bombardment struck a densely populated area in central Gaza City on the eve of Eid al-Adha.

TRT World added that the joint statement by Netanyahu and Katz said the army launched the strike “under their instructions,” claiming Awda had been selected to replace Izz al-Din al-Haddad, whom Israel said it killed around 10 days ago.

TRT World also reported that the statement did not confirm whether Awda was killed in the strike, and that neither Hamas nor the Qassam Brigades commented on the Israeli claim.

Al Jazeera said Israeli air attacks killed at least seven people in Gaza, as Israel continued to violate the “ceasefire” during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, with at least five Palestinians killed in a drone attack on Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza.

“- Published At least three Palestinians were killed and dozens more were injured in a major Israeli air strike targeting a residential building in one of Gaza City's busiest market areas, local medics and witnesses said”

BBC

Al Jazeera reported that civil defence and hospital officials said “Five martyrs and several wounded were transferred (to hospital) after an Israeli air strike targeted a group of citizens in eastern Maghazi,” and that Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital confirmed the death toll.

The BBC said Israel has conducted regular strikes across Gaza since a ceasefire began on 10 October, while Hamas repeatedly accused Israel of breaching the terms of the ceasefire and attacking civilians.

Anadolu Ajansı said Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that ongoing violations of the ceasefire agreement since last October have killed 906 Palestinians and injured 2,747 others as of Tuesday.

With the conflict continuing, TRT World said Israel has killed at least 72,803 people and injured over 172,000 in two years of genocidal war since October 2023, and that the fighting has caused widespread destruction affecting 90 percent of civilian infrastructure.