Hamas Chief In Gaza Izz Al-Din Al-Haddad Killed In Israeli Strike, IDF Confirms

Last Updated:May 16, 2026, 15:45 IST

Before becoming Hamas’s top commander in Gaza, Izz al-Din al-Haddad served as chief of the group’s Gaza City Brigade.

Hamas’s military chief in Gaza Izz al-Din al-Haddad has been killed in an Israeli airstrike, according to both a senior Hamas official and the Israeli military, marking the death of one of the group’s most senior remaining commanders. A senior Hamas official told Reuters that Izz al-Din al-Haddad had died a day after Israel announced it had carried out strikes targeting him in Gaza City.

Hamas is yet to issue a formal public confirmation but the Israel Defense Forces confirmed Izz al-Din al-Haddad’s killing in a statement, saying he was eliminated in a “precise strike" overnight in Gaza City. The IDF described Izz al-Din al-Haddad as “one of the architects of the brutal October 7 massacre" and said he had recently worked to rebuild Hamas’s military capabilities and plan attacks against Israeli civilians and Israeli troops.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz had announced on Friday that Izz al-Din al-Haddad was the target of an Israeli strike, though they had not confirmed his death at the time.

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In a joint statement, Netanyahu and Katz accused Izz al-Din al-Haddad of orchestrating the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.

“Haddad was responsible for the murder, abduction, and harm inflicted on thousands of Israeli civilians and soldiers," the statement said.

Who Is Izz al-Din al-Haddad?

According to the IDF, Izz al-Din al-Haddad assumed command of Hamas’s military wing and leadership in Gaza after the killing of Mohammed Sinwar in May 2025. The military said Izz al-Din al-Haddad played a central role in Hamas operations throughout the war and was involved in overseeing the captivity of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

“Throughout the war, Haddad was involved in the holding of many Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity. Haddad managed Hamas’s hostage captivity system and surrounded himself with hostages in an attempt to prevent his elimination," the IDF said.

The military also described Izz al-Din al-Haddad as one of Hamas’s longest-serving commanders, saying he joined the group in its early years and maintained close ties with its top leadership.

Before becoming Hamas’s top commander in Gaza, Izz al-Din al-Haddad served as chief of the group’s Gaza City Brigade. The IDF said he was among the last senior Hamas commanders directly involved in planning and carrying out the October 7 attack and directing combat operations against Israeli troops.

If formally confirmed by Hamas, Izz al-Din al-Haddad would be the highest-ranking Hamas official killed by Israel since a US-backed ceasefire agreement reached in October that was intended to halt the fighting in Gaza.

The reported killing comes as indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked over efforts to advance US President Donald Trump’s post-war Gaza proposal aimed at ending more than two years of conflict.

News world Hamas Chief In Gaza Izz Al-Din Al-Haddad Killed In Israeli Strike, IDF Confirms

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