Overview
- Israel’s military and Shin Bet confirmed Saturday that Izz al-Din al-Haddad died in a precise Gaza City strike on Friday, with Hamas officials and a funeral in Gaza also confirming his death.
- The attack hit a residential building in the al-Rimal area and a nearby vehicle, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens, and Hamas said al-Haddad’s wife and 19-year-old daughter were among the dead.
- Israeli leaders called al-Haddad one of the architects of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks and said he led Hamas’s Qassam Brigades while overseeing the holding of Israeli hostages.
- An Israeli official said the air force moved after more than a week of surveillance and prior authorization, and the army chief called the strike a significant operational achievement.
- His death is the most senior Hamas loss since an October 2025 U.S.-backed ceasefire that reduced large battles but left disputes over Hamas disarmament and Gaza’s future government unresolved.