The Israeli military has announced that it has killed a senior Hamas military commander, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, in a targeted airstrike in Gaza City, amid what remains a fragile ceasefire arrangement brokered by the United States.
In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Security Agency confirmed that al-Haddad, described as one of the most senior operational figures within Hamas’s armed wing, was struck during an air operation in Gaza City on Friday afternoon. The military characterised the strike as “precise and intelligence-driven”.
According to Gaza’s emergency services, at least seven people were killed in the attack, including women and children, while more than 50 others sustained injuries. The strike reportedly involved two phases: the first targeting a residential building in the al-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City, followed shortly by a second strike on a nearby vehicle.
Medical officials at Al-Shifa Hospital said they received the bodies of seven victims, including three women and one child. Emergency responders from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported evacuating around 30 injured individuals to a field hospital for urgent treatment.
Al-Haddad, who had reportedly earned the nickname “the ghost of Al-Qassam” within Hamas due to his secretive movements and elusive operational style, was said to be a central figure in the organisation’s military leadership structure. He was believed to have taken on an increasingly influential role following the deaths of other senior Hamas figures, including Yahya Sinwar, his brother Mohammed Sinwar, and Mohammed Deif, all of whom were previously targeted in Israeli operations.
The Hamas has not yet issued an official statement confirming or denying his death. However, reports from Reuters suggested that several mosques in northern Gaza announced his killing on Saturday, indicating that news of his death had begun to circulate locally.
Casualty Summary
| Category | Reported Figures | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fatalities | At least 7 | Includes women and children |
| Injured | Over 50 | Treated across multiple facilities |
| Key Target | Izz al-Din al-Haddad | Hamas military commander (unconfirmed death by Hamas) |
| Strike Locations | Al-Rimal area, Gaza City | Residential building and nearby vehicle |
Israeli officials have accused al-Haddad of being a principal architect of the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel and of playing a key role in the subsequent holding of hostages. They also alleged that he was involved in rejecting international proposals, including a US-backed framework aimed at dismantling Hamas’s military capacity and demilitarising the Gaza Strip.
Despite a ceasefire formally in place since October last year under US mediation, Israeli strikes in Gaza have continued intermittently. Israeli authorities maintain that such operations are necessary either to target Hamas operatives or to neutralise imminent threats against their forces.
According to data cited by Gaza’s health authorities, more than 850 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire came into effect in mid-October. The latest escalation has raised further questions about the durability of the truce and the prospects for long-term stability.
Former international peace envoy Nikolay Mladenov, who has been involved in overseeing elements of the ceasefire implementation, has previously acknowledged that the agreement is “far from flawless”, though he noted that it has nonetheless contributed to a degree of relative calm in the region.
He has also reiterated that any future political settlement would likely require Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza and disarm fully, conditions that are seen as closely tied to the potential withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.