Overview
- Israeli forces said Saturday that a precise strike in Gaza City on Friday killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, and Hamas officials confirmed his death as mourners held his funeral in the city.
- Local medics reported at least seven Palestinians killed and dozens wounded in attacks that hit a Rimal apartment and a nearby vehicle, with three women and a child among the dead.
- Israel labeled al-Haddad one of the architects of the October 7, 2023 attacks and said he oversaw Hamas’s hostage captivity system, at times surrounding himself with hostages to avoid being targeted.
- An Israeli official said the operation was approved about a week and a half earlier and followed constant surveillance before commanders seized an operational window.
- The killing, the most senior Hamas loss since the October 2025 ceasefire, is expected to sharpen tensions and further stall indirect talks over disarmament and Gaza’s next governing authority.