Hamas Military Chief Izz al-Din al-Haddad Killed in Israeli Airstrike in Gaza, Say Israeli Officials

Israel on Saturday announced that Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the head of Hamas’s military wing in Gaza and one of the last surviving figures allegedly linked to the planning of the October 7 attacks, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City.

A senior Hamas official also confirmed Haddad’s death to Reuters, although the militant group had not issued any formal public statement regarding the killing at the time of reporting.

Earlier in the day, residents in Gaza told Reuters that announcements made through mosque loudspeakers across parts of Gaza City referred to Haddad as a “martyr”, indicating that news of his death had already spread locally.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military had specifically targeted Haddad in Friday’s strike.

The Israeli leadership accused him of playing a central role in planning and executing the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

The October 7 assault resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people in Israel, while more than 250 others were taken hostage in Gaza.

In response, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign in the Palestinian enclave that has caused widespread destruction and, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, led to the deaths of more than 72,700 people.

Born in 1970, Haddad rose through Hamas ranks over several decades and became the group’s top military commander in Gaza after the killing of former military chief Mohammad Sinwar in May 2025, Reuters reported.

He was among the early members of Hamas after the organisation was established in the late 1980s.

Haddad also served in the Majd unit of Hamas’s Qassam Brigades, a section reportedly tasked with identifying and pursuing suspected collaborators with Israel.

Over time, he became part of Hamas’s powerful Military Council, regarded as the group’s highest command body and one that Israeli authorities say played a key role in the October 7 attack that triggered the ongoing war.

Israel’s military leadership described the operation as highly significant, with Netanyahu and Katz calling Haddad “one of the architects” of the October 7 attack.

Israeli officials accused him of being directly responsible for the killing, abduction, and attacks carried out against Israeli civilians and soldiers during the assault.

The Israeli military further alleged that Haddad had used Israeli hostages as human shields during the conflict, though Hamas has repeatedly denied similar accusations in the past.

According to The Associated Press, Haddad’s family confirmed that he was killed in Friday’s strike along with six other people, including his wife and daughter.

His funeral was reportedly held in Gaza City on Saturday, where mourners carried his body wrapped in Hamas and Palestinian flags.

Reports also said that Haddad had already lost two sons earlier during the war.

The strike took place amid continuing violence in Gaza despite a fragile US-backed ceasefire agreement reached in October.

The Associated Press reported that Israeli military operations and strikes have continued almost daily since the ceasefire began, with Gaza’s Health Ministry claiming that more than 850 Palestinians have been killed during that period.

AP further reported that at least two Israeli strikes hit Gaza City on Friday evening.

One reportedly targeted a residential building while another struck a vehicle. Palestinian health authorities said at least seven people, including women and a child, were killed and several others were injured.

It remains unclear whether Haddad was among those casualties or was killed in a separate strike.

Israel has intensified military operations in Gaza in recent weeks after suspending joint operations with the United States against Iran and shifting its primary military focus back to Gaza.

Israeli officials claim Hamas militants have been attempting to regroup in different parts of the enclave.

Meanwhile, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a possible post-war arrangement for Gaza remain stalled.

Reuters reported that the discussions are tied to a US-backed peace proposal promoted by US President Donald Trump aimed at ending the conflict that has continued for more than two years.