Hamas’s Top Leader in Gaza Is Killed in Israeli Strike
An Israeli airstrike killed the chief of Hamas’s navy wing in Gaza, the Israeli navy stated on Saturday. He was essentially the most senior Hamas official to be killed by Israel since a cease-fire started final fall.
The Hamas commander, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, took over the group’s military wing in Gaza final yr, after Israeli forces killed Muhammad Sinwarthe brother of Yahya Sinwar, an architect of Hamas’s lethal assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Salama Maaroof, the director of the Hamas-run Gaza authorities media workplace, confirmed Mr. al-Haddad’s dying in a put up on social media. Hamas’s official broadcaster, Al-Aqsa TV, stated a whole bunch of Gazans had borne Mr. al-Haddad’s physique in a funeral procession in Gaza City on Saturday.
Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the Israeli navy’s chief of employees, stated in an announcement on Saturday that the killing of Mr. al-Haddad was “a significant operational achievement.”
Israel’s prime minister and protection minister introduced the strike in opposition to Mr. al-Haddad in a joint assertion on Friday, describing him as one other architect of the October 2023 assault. They stated that he had “refused to implement the agreement” brokered by President Trump “to disarm Hamas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.”
The airstrike hit a constructing in Gaza, and the Israeli Air Force additionally struck across the construction in order to forestall an escape, based on two Israeli protection officers who spoke on situation of anonymity to debate operations in Gaza.
Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, an emergency service underneath the Hamas-run inside ministry, stated on Saturday that no less than six individuals had been killed in the assaults, with out specifying whether or not Mr. al-Haddad was amongst them.
Experts, in addition to a senior official of Mr. Trump’s Board of Peace, say that Israel has repeatedly violated the October 2025 cease-fire with virtually day by day airstrikes in Gaza. Experts additionally say Israel has violated the settlement by taking management of territory past the truce strains and by hampering the supply of humanitarian support and rubble elimination tools.
Israeli officers have accused Hamas leaders, together with Mr. al-Haddad, of violating the cease-fire by attempting to revive their navy talents and planning new assaults.
Mr. al-Haddad, in his mid-50s, was believed to be firmly against Israeli efforts to dislodge Hamas from energy in Gaza, and was regarded as primarily based in Gaza City. Since the Oct. 7 assault, he has been the one senior Hamas commander to offer an on-the-record interview, appearing in an Al Jazeera documentary that aired final yr.
Known to his Hamas compatriots as Abu Suheib, he was one of many remaining few residing commanders who was a member of the militant group’s high-level navy council on Oct. 7, 2023. A Hebrew speaker, Mr. al-Haddad additionally hung out with Israeli hostages in northern Gaza, based on Israeli officers. He rose into larger management positions as Israel killed one senior Hamas chief after one other, together with Muhammad Deif, the chief of the navy wing; Mr. Deif’s high deputy, Marwan Issa; and the Sinwar brothers.
Records from the Gaza well being ministry point out that Mr. al-Haddad’s eldest son, Suheib, was among the many individuals killed in the course of the battle, which has left tens of hundreds of Gazans useless. In April, the Shin Bet, Israel’s home intelligence company, announced the killing of Mahmoud Abu Hiseirawho it described as Mr. al-Haddad’s right-hand man.
So far, Hamas has resisted calls for that it relinquish its navy wing’s weapons. A high official of the Board of Peace, Nickolay Mladenov, accused Hamas this week of blocking efforts to assist Palestinians, and urged him to surrender his weapons and make room for the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a US-appointed group of Palestinian technocrats ready to enter Gaza and assume management over authorities features.
A Hamas spokesperson, Hazem Qassim, stated this week that the Hamas-run authorities in Gaza was prepared handy over the administration of the territory to the National Committee, with out saying whether or not the group’s navy wing was prepared to surrender its weapons.
Ronen Bergman, Rawan Sheikh Ahmad, Adam Rasgon, Aaron Boxerman and Lynsey Chutel contributed reporting.
