Israel said Friday that it killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the head of Hamas’s military wing, during a targeted airstrike in Gaza City.
The strike was part of a series of Israeli attacks aimed at senior Hamas figures allegedly involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack against Israel.
In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said Haddad was one of the key Hamas leaders responsible for attacks, abductions and violence against Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Israeli officials described Haddad as one of the most senior remaining Hamas commanders after the killing of Mohammed Sinwar in May 2025.
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The Israel Defense Forces later confirmed Haddad’s death, saying he was among the last senior Hamas commanders connected to the planning of the Oct. 7 massacre.
According to the IDF, Haddad was also involved in the captivity of Israeli hostages throughout the war and allegedly used hostages around him in an effort to prevent Israeli forces from targeting him.
A senior Israeli security official said the strike had been approved roughly a week and a half earlier, with intelligence teams closely tracking Haddad before carrying out the operation.
Officials said the attack was launched after Israeli forces believed they had a strong operational opportunity and a high chance of success.
The strike comes as Israel and Hamas remain locked in stalled negotiations over U.S. President Donald Trump’s broader plan for Gaza.
A fragile ceasefire has been in place since October 2025, though both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the agreement.
Medical officials in Gaza said one of Friday’s Israeli strikes hit an apartment in the Rimal area of Gaza City, killing at least four people and injuring several others.
A second strike reportedly hit a nearby vehicle, killing three additional people, according to local medics.
Gaza authorities said the targeted building had hundreds of people living inside at the time of the attack.
Although the ceasefire has reduced large-scale fighting, both sides have failed to reach a lasting agreement involving Israeli military withdrawal, Hamas disarmament and the reconstruction of heavily damaged areas of the Gaza Strip.
The killing of Haddad is expected to further raise tensions as both sides continue accusing each other of undermining the ceasefire and blocking progress toward a permanent settlement.
Israel’s military said it killed the chief of Hamas’ military wing in an airstrike on Gaza the previous day, making him the most senior Hamas official killed by Israel since an October US-backed ceasefire agreement https://t.co/vibxbfvJ1Z pic.twitter.com/lZkMCnmww4
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 16, 2026
