Qassam Brigades Chief Killed — Israeli forces killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the head of Hamas’s military wing the Qassam Brigades, in a strike on the Remal neighbourhood west of Gaza City on Friday evening, eliminating one of the most senior figures in the Palestinian militant organisation’s command structure.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz jointly announced the operation, describing al-Haddad as ‘one of the architects’ of the October 7, 2023 attacks that triggered the current conflict. The announcement marked a significant moment in Israel’s sustained campaign to dismantle Hamas’s military leadership.
Seven people died in the strikes, which struck two separate locations in the Remal area. A hit on a civilian vehicle killed three Palestinians, while four others perished in a strike on a building. Among the dead were three women and a baby. Dozens more sustained injuries in the attacks.
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Hamas confirmed al-Haddad’s death in a statement issued Saturday, saying he was killed alongside his wife, his daughter, and other Palestinian civilians. The group condemned the operation as a ‘treacherous and cowardly assassination’ and declared the killing a direct breach of the existing Gaza ceasefire agreement. The Palestinian Mujahideen Movement and the Mujahideen Brigades issued a joint statement mourning his death.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that hospitals received 13 bodies and 57 wounded patients in the 24-hour period surrounding the strikes. Since the ceasefire took effect, the ministry’s cumulative toll from Israeli attacks has reached 870 dead and 2,543 injured — figures that underscore the persistent lethality of operations conducted despite the nominal truce.
Al-Haddad’s killing follows a pattern of targeted strikes against senior Hamas commanders. In December of last year, Israeli forces killed Raed Saad, who served as al-Haddad’s second-in-command. That attack wounded at least 25 people. The successive elimination of the Qassam Brigades’ top two figures within months represents a significant blow to the organisation’s operational leadership.
Hamas’s accusation that the strike violates the ceasefire adds a new layer of tension to an already fragile arrangement. The group has consistently argued that Israeli military operations conducted since the truce began constitute violations of its terms, while Israel maintains that targeting senior militant commanders falls within its security prerogatives.
Qassam Brigades Chief Killed: Regional Implications
The Remal neighbourhood, a densely populated district in western Gaza City, has been the site of repeated strikes throughout the conflict. Friday’s attack drew immediate condemnation from Palestinian factions, with multiple armed groups joining Hamas in denouncing the operation and pledging continued resistance.
Al-Haddad’s death leaves the Qassam Brigades without its two most senior known commanders, raising questions about the group’s capacity to reconstitute its leadership and sustain coordinated military operations. Israeli officials have framed the campaign of targeted killings as essential to preventing future large-scale attacks, while critics argue the strikes on populated areas exact an unacceptable civilian toll.
The broader humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. The accumulation of casualties since the ceasefire began — nearly 900 dead and more than 2,500 wounded by the Health Ministry’s count — reflects the continued intensity of Israeli military activity even as diplomatic efforts to consolidate the truce and negotiate a more durable arrangement continue in regional capitals.
