On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed the killing of Hamas military leader Izz al-Din al-Haddad in a “precise strike” on Gaza City the previous day. Haddad was implicated as one of the masterminds behind Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Despite a ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas last October with the mediation of the United States, Israeli military stated in a statement on Saturday that Haddad had recently taken actions to rebuild the terrorist organization’s military capabilities and planned multiple terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and the Israel Defense Forces.
Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Hazem Qassem, later confirmed in a video statement on Facebook that Haddad had been killed but provided no further details.
According to Reuters, a joint funeral for Haddad, his wife, and their 19-year-old daughter was held on Saturday at a mosque in central Gaza.
Israeli newspaper “The Times of Israel” reported that Haddad was a leader and military chief of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir welcomed the news of Haddad’s killing and instructed the Southern Command to remain vigilant against potential retaliation by the terrorist organization.
Zamir stated in an evaluation report, “This is a significant operational victory achieved by the Israel Defense Forces under the leadership of the Southern Command, Intelligence Department, Air Force, and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).”
“In every conversation I had with released hostages, the name of terrorist leader Haddad was repeatedly mentioned. He was one of the main orchestrators of the massacre on October 7 and a leader of Hamas military wing,” Zamir said.
“Today, we have successfully eliminated him. The Israel Defense Forces will continue to pursue our enemies, strike, and hold accountable all those involved in the massacre on October 7,” he added.
According to a joint statement by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister on Friday, Haddad had become the military commander of Hamas in Gaza after the killing of Mohammad Sinwar in May 2025, and he was held responsible for the “murders, kidnappings, and injuries inflicted on thousands of Israeli civilians and soldiers.”
Following Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel vowed to remove Hamas leaders. Since then, several senior Hamas figures have been killed, including the Sinwar brothers, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, and longtime military chief Mohammad Deif.