Hamas Confirms Death of Senior Commander Ezzedine Al-Haddad in Israeli Airstrike in Gaza

Hamas confirmed on Saturday that senior military commander Ezzedine Al-Haddad was killed in an Israeli airstrike, with Israel Defense Forces describing him as one of the key planners behind the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The strike marks another major development in Israel’s ongoing campaign targeting top Hamas leaders and commanders during the war in Gaza.

According to the Israeli military and the Shin Bet internal security agency, Haddad was killed in what officials described as a “precise strike” carried out in Gaza City on Friday. The military said he was among the last remaining senior commanders of Hamas’s armed wing and accused him of helping plan and execute the October 7 assault that triggered the ongoing conflict.

Two Hamas officials also confirmed Haddad’s death to AFP, stating that he was killed in an Israeli strike targeting a residential apartment and a civilian vehicle in Gaza City. Hamas sources further claimed that his wife and one of his daughters were also killed during the attack. Photographs circulating from the scene showed mourners carrying his body, wrapped in a Hamas flag, through heavily damaged areas of the city.

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Israeli authorities alleged that Haddad played a major operational role within Hamas’s military structure and was also involved in overseeing Israeli hostages held in Gaza during the conflict. The Israeli military claimed he managed parts of Hamas’s hostage captivity system and attempted to shield himself by remaining close to hostages to avoid being targeted.

Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir described the killing as a “significant operational achievement," saying the names of senior Hamas figures repeatedly surfaced in testimonies given by released hostages. Israeli officials have continued to frame the elimination of top Hamas commanders as a central objective of their military campaign following the October 7 attack.

Since the beginning of the war, Israel has announced the killing of several senior Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, both regarded by Israeli authorities as architects of the October 7 assault. Israeli operations have also targeted leaders of allied groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The October 7, 2023 attack led by Hamas militants killed more than 1,200 people in Israel, according to official Israeli figures, while hundreds of hostages were taken into Gaza. Since then, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have caused widespread destruction and a mounting humanitarian crisis. Gaza’s health ministry says tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed during the conflict while fighting and airstrikes continue despite intermittent ceasefire efforts.

The conflict remains highly volatile, with both Israel and Hamas accusing each other of violating ceasefire understandings reached earlier in the war. Daily strikes, clashes, and military operations continue across Gaza as international efforts to secure a longer-term truce and hostage agreement remain stalled.

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