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Haddad killed in Gaza
An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed Hamas military wing leader Izz al-Din al-Haddad on Friday, Israel’s army said Saturday, describing him as one of the last surviving architects of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks that killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel and saw more than 250 taken hostage.
“Izz al-Din al-Haddad was killed on Friday, Israel’s army said”
Hamas confirmed the killing, and a Hamas spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, confirmed it on social media, while Israel said al-Haddad had assumed the role of Hamas commander after his predecessor, Mohammed Sinwar, was killed.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, and Gaza has seen near-daily Israeli fire with more than 850 people killed in the Palestinian territory since the ceasefire went into effect in October, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Israel’s retaliatory strikes have killed more than 72,700 people overall, the ministry said, and Al Jazeera reported that the strike killed seven other Palestinians, including women and children, and wounded 50 people.
Al-Haddad’s family confirmed his death in Friday’s strike, and his body was wrapped in Hamas and Palestinian flags as mourners carried it at Saturday’s funeral in Gaza City.
Reactions and shifting narratives
Israel’s military chief of staff called the killing a significant operation, and the IDF said al-Haddad had surrounded himself with Israeli hostages during the war as a shield against an attack.
The Times of Israel quoted IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir hailing the killing as a “significant operational success by the IDF led by the Southern Command, the Intelligence Directorate, the Air Force and the Shin Bet.”
Hamas’s spokesperson Hazem Qassem also framed the death as a major loss, and Al Jazeera reported that Hamas officially mourned him as the “General Commander” of the Qassam Brigades.
In the same coverage, Al Jazeera said analysts argued the immediate operational impact on Hamas’s armed wing would be limited, describing the Qassam Brigades as “not built on a hierarchical, sequential structure.”
The Jerusalem Post, meanwhile, focused on Gaza’s public reaction after Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the killing, saying “the silence that followed it” drew attention inside Gaza.
Succession and what’s at risk
After the assassination, Hamas named a successor in Gaza’s military wing, with ynetnews reporting that Mohammed Odeh, a close aide to Haddad, was chosen to lead the group’s military wing.
“Mohammed Odeh, a close aide to Haddad, was chosen to lead the group’s military wing”
i24NEWS reported that Hamas appointed Mohammed Awda as the new military leader of its Qassam Brigades, succeeding Izz al-Din al-Haddad, and said Awda was previously offered the leadership position after the elimination of Mohammed Sinwar in May 2025 but refused.
Al Jazeera described a dual-strike on a residential apartment in Gaza City’s Remal neighbourhood and a vehicle attempting to flee the scene, and it said heavy munitions delivery in a densely populated area killed seven other Palestinians and wounded 50 people.
Al Jazeera also said the killing raised “critical questions about the future of the fragile ‘ceasefire’ and who remains to lead the Qassam Brigades,” while the Inquirer reported that the top diplomat overseeing the ceasefire said it has stalled because of the deadlock over disarming Hamas.
In parallel, Israel’s stated aim remained to continue pursuing enemies to hold them accountable, and the IDF said it would continue pursuing its enemies, strike, and settle accounts with everyone who took part in the October 7 massacre.
