Ezz El-Din Al-Haddad (Image source: X @IDF)
Israeli forces killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the head of Hamas’s military wing and another senior commander linked to the planning of the October 7 attacks on Israel, in a targeted airstrike in Gaza City, according to the Israeli military.In a post on the websiteIsrael said that Haddad assumed this role after the killing of Muhammad al-Sanwar.
The forces also said: “Haddad was involved in holding numerous Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity, and ran Hamas’ hostage-taking system by surrounding himself with hostages in an attempt to prevent his own elimination.”Israeli forces also said that they killed two Hamas activists, Hammer Iyad Muhammad al-Maatouq and Khaled Muhammad Salem Judeh, in two separate operations. The Israeli army accused the two men of infiltrating Israel during the October 7 attacks, and said they had recently attempted to carry out attacks against Israeli forces operating in the region.Haddad was one of Hamas’s longest-serving leaders, joining the organization during its early founding in the 1980s, according to the Israel Security Agency (ISA), as reported by the Associated Press.
He maintained close ties with the Hamas leadership and held several senior positions, including commander of the Gaza City Brigade and other units. He was also a member of the Hamas Military Council, one of the movement’s senior leadership bodies that played a key role in planning the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.The October 7 attacks killed about 1,200 people in Israel, while more than 250 people were taken hostage in Gaza, according to Israeli figures.At least seven Palestinians were martyred, including Haddad, and dozens were injured in two Israeli air strikes that targeted a residential building and a civilian vehicle in Gaza City on Friday. The Israeli military commander described the killing as an “important operation” and said that Israel would continue to pursue its enemies to hold them accountable.Haddad’s killing adds to the growing list of senior Hamas military leaders killed during the Israeli attack on Gaza.
Israeli retaliatory attacks killed more than 72,700 people, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government in Gaza, but is staffed by medical professionals who maintain and publish detailed records that the international community generally considers reliable.The killing comes as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, with key issues such as disarming Hamas continuing to derail progress in the negotiations. Despite the ceasefire, which took effect in October, Gaza continues to witness almost daily Israeli raids, with more than 850 people reportedly killed since then, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.Both Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused each other of committing violations since the start of the ceasefire.
