IDF eliminates senior Hamas commander, Oct. 7th architect Izz al-Din al-Haddad in Gaza strike

Images circulating from Gaza after the strike appeared to show flames continuing to burn inside the targeted apartment for an extended period following the attack.

By Amotz Eyal, TPS

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israeli military carried out a strike in Gaza targeting Izz al-Din al-Haddad, identified by Israel as the head of Hamas’ military wing and one of the planners of the October 7 attack.

According to the statement, al-Haddad was responsible for the killing and abduction of Israeli civilians and soldiers during the October 7, 2023 assault on southern Israel, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

Israeli officials said he also directed attacks against Israeli forces during the ongoing war in Gaza and was involved in holding Israeli hostages in the Strip.

Hamas had not issued an immediate response.

According to reports from Gaza, an apartment in Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood was struck, followed shortly afterward by a second strike targeting a vehicle that was reportedly suspected of fleeing the building after the initial attack.

The reports could not be independently verified immediately.

Images circulating from Gaza after the strike appeared to show flames continuing to burn inside the targeted apartment for an extended period following the attack.

Israeli leaders described the operation as part of a broader campaign to target senior Hamas commanders and those Israel accuses of orchestrating the October 7 attack.

“Israel will continue to act with strength and determination against all those who took part in the massacre and atrocities of October 7,” the statement said. “Sooner or later, Israel will reach you.”

Former hostage Liri Albag, who was held captive in Gaza and has publicly said she was held by al-Haddad, reacted to the announcement in a social media post written in Hebrew using Arabic words.

“Every dog has its day, and you are a piece of dog,” she wrote.

Al-Haddad has long been considered one of Hamas’ senior military figures in Gaza and was reportedly involved in overseeing combat operations against Israeli troops during the war.