Israel said on Friday it targeted Gaza Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the leader of the armed wing of Hamas, considered one of the masterminds behind the attacks on October 7, 2023 against the Israeli state.
Two strikes on an apartment in the Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City and on a vehicle in a nearby street killed at least seven people and injured around fifty, according to medical sources in Gaza, with immediate confirmation on whether the Hamas commander was among the casualties.
Israeli authorities and Hamas have not released any information on the fate of Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who took over the armed wing of the Palestinian group in the Palestinian enclave following the assassination of Mohammed Sinouar by Israel in May 2025.
Izz al-Din al-Haddad, leader of the al-Qassam Brigades, is the highest-ranking commander targeted by Israel since the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States last October.
In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israël Katz described Izz al-Din al-Haddad as “responsible for the killings, kidnappings, and harm inflicted on thousands of Israeli civilians and soldiers.”
