The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that they targeted the leader of the Hamas military branch in the Gaza Strip.
“The armed forces carried out a strike in Gaza targeting the prominent terrorist Ezzedine al-Haddad, commander of the Hamas military branch and one of the main architects of the October 7 massacre,” according to a statement.
“Shortly after receiving intelligence on Haddad’s whereabouts (…), Israeli Air Force planes took off to conduct the operation,” detailed a military official in another statement, adding that they are awaiting confirmation of his death.
According to the Gaza Civil Defense, one person was killed and around twenty others were injured after fighter jets “bombed a residential building” in the Al-Ramal neighborhood in Gaza City. However, they did not provide an identity.
Israeli television aired footage showing a building on fire in Gaza, claiming it was the location where Ezzedine al-Haddad was targeted.
The ministry accuses him of being “responsible for the murder, kidnapping, and suffering inflicted on thousands of Israeli civilians and soldiers of the Israeli army.”
“He maintained our hostages in brutal captivity, orchestrated terrorist attacks against our forces, and refused to implement the agreement proposed by President Donald Trump aimed at disarming Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip,” they added.
“A Violation of the Ceasefire”
A ceasefire came into effect on October 10, 2025, in the territory, part of which is controlled by Hamas and the other by the Israeli army.
“Haddad openly violated the ceasefire by working to restore the capabilities of the organization’s military branch, planning numerous attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers, and refusing to disarm,” stated the Israeli military official.
He described the man as “the highest military leader of the Hamas terrorist organization and the last high-ranking Hamas leader still present in the Gaza Strip who participated in the organization of the October 7 massacre.”
During the conflict, he “changed hiding places multiple times,” according to the same source.
Israel claimed responsibility for the deaths of several top Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinouar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, who was killed on October 16, 2024.
The Israeli army also killed Mohammed Deif, the chief commander of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades and another key figure in the attacks, in July 2024.
AFP
