The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Reuters reported that an Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed the head of Hamas’ military wing, marking the most senior figure from the Palestinian group killed since a U.S.-backed ceasefire agreement in October intended to halt the fighting.
The Israeli military said on Saturday that Izz al-Din al-Haddad was killed in what it described as a precise strike on Gaza City on Friday. Israel has continued to carry out strikes in Gaza despite the ceasefire.
Hamas later confirmed Haddad’s death, saying he was killed along with his wife and daughter. The group described him as a key figure in directing combat operations.
A joint funeral was held on Saturday at Al Aqsa Martyrs Mosque in central Gaza for Haddad, his wife, and their 19-year-old daughter.
Local medics reported that Israeli strikes on Friday killed at least seven Palestinians, including three women and one child. A Palestinian source said Haddad was killed in an airstrike targeting an apartment building.
On Saturday, at least three more people were killed in separate Israeli airstrikes, according to health officials. Medics said two men were killed in a strike targeting a vehicle near Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, while another person was killed in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on these incidents.
According to available figures, about 850 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the October ceasefire, without distinguishing between civilians and combatants. During the same period, four Israeli soldiers were reported killed by militants. Hamas does not disclose casualty figures among its fighters.
In a joint statement with his defense minister, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Haddad was one of the planners of the October 7, 2023, attacks that triggered Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
Haddad, who became Hamas’ military chief in Gaza after the killing of Mohammad Sinwar in May 2025, was accused by Israeli officials of involvement in attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Nicknamed “the Ghost,” Haddad had survived several previous assassination attempts, according to Hamas sources. The Israeli military described him as one of the group’s longest-serving commanders, rising through its ranks since the 1980s.
Israel and Hamas remain at an impasse in indirect negotiations over a U.S.-proposed post-war plan for Gaza aimed at ending more than two years of conflict.
In recent weeks, Israel has intensified its strikes in Gaza, refocusing its military operations on the territory following a pause in joint operations with the United States in Iran.
