Overview
- Israeli officials and the Shin Bet confirmed that a strike on Tuesday, May 26, killed Mohammed Odeh, whom Israel said had just assumed command of the Brigades Izz al-Din al-Qassam.
- Israel described Odeh as a long-time Hamas intelligence chief and one of the principal planners of the October 7, 2023 attacks, saying his elimination continues a campaign to remove senior Hamas commanders.
- Local and Hamas-linked sources reported that Odeh was killed along with family members in a strike on a residential building, and footage and journalists described a funeral procession in Gaza City.
- The strike follows the killing of Odeh’s predecessor Ezzedine al-Haddad on May 15 and took place despite a ceasefire declared in October 2025, highlighting the truce’s fragility and frequent violations.
- Humanitarian and political fallout is intensifying as Gaza health officials report tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths since October 2023, Israeli leaders reiterate plans that could affect population movement, and analysts warn repeated decapitations may not end Hamas’s control in populated areas.