The Israeli army and the Shin Bet, the internal intelligence agency, announced on Saturday, May 16, the death of the chief of the military branch of Hamas, Ezzedine Al-Haddad, killed in strikes on the Gaza Strip the day before. The information was later confirmed by the Palestinian Islamist movement. The Washington Post described Al-Haddad as a “relatively little-known figure before the start of the war in Gaza”. The statement from the Israeli Defense Forces announcing his elimination, however, presents him as “the last leader of Hamas involved in planning the terrorist attacks of October 7 still alive in Gaza”.
According to witnesses interviewed by the BBC, the strikes targeted the Al-Mu’taz residential building in the Al-Ramal neighborhood of Gaza City, followed by a civilian vehicle about a kilometer away. In total, at least seven people are reported to have died and 45 others were injured, some in critical condition.
Eyewitness accounts collected by Al-Jazeera’s correspondent in the Palestinian enclave, Ibrahim Al Khalili, suggest that at least four missiles were fired. The journalist added that this area in the western part of Gaza City is currently “overpopulated” – with the population seeking refuge “to escape the countless Israeli military operations [in the eastern part of the city]”.
“Despite the peace plan [of US President Donald] Trump, the fighting continues in the enclave,” notes the Qatari news site. “Since the ‘ceasefire’ came into effect [on October 10, 2025], nearly 850 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Many residents thought the ceasefire would bring some form of peace, but it only brings tragedies.”
Target of several assassination attempts
Images released by AFP show the funeral of Ezzedine Al-Haddad taking place on Saturday morning in Gaza. His coffin, wrapped in a Hamas flag, was surrounded by a crowd.
The Israeli newspaper Ha’Aretz provided some details about his background. Born in 1970 and “originating from the al-Touffah neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, he joined Hamas at the age of 17. He had previously worked for the internal police [of the organization], known as ‘Majd’, responsible for apprehending Palestinians who collaborated with Israel. He continued to climb the ranks and was put at the head of one of the five Hamas brigades in Gaza. He was also a member of the Military Council, and considered one of the main commanders overseeing the group’s military activities in the Gaza Strip.”
The article goes on to say that he had survived several assassination attempts, including in 2009, 2012, and 2021. Several others had targeted him since the outbreak of the war, resulting in the deaths of two of his sons. He was said to have personally supervised the detention of Israeli hostages during the conflict – several of whom claimed to have seen him in person.
Before him, Israel had claimed the deaths of several senior Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinouar, the chief of Hamas in Gaza, Mohammed Deif, chief commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades, and Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau. As he is once again decapitated, sources affiliated with the Palestinian movement, quoted by Ha’Aretz, explain that his successor will be chosen from active commanders in the field.
