Who Is Mohammed Odeh? Hamas' New Military Chief Killed In Israeli Strike

Last Updated:May 27, 2026, 02:30 IST

Odeh reportedly played a key role in intelligence gathering ahead of the October 7 attacks, including collecting information on Israeli military bases near the Gaza border.

Hamas’s newly appointed military commander, Mohammed Odeh, was targeted and reportedly killed in a precise Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, marking the second elimination of the group’s top armed chief in less than two weeks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement confirming the military operation, identifying Odeh as the leader of Hamas’s military wing and a key architect of the October 7 cross-border assault.

The strike destroyed the upper floor of an apartment building in the Rimal neighborhood of western Gaza City, leaving two dead and over 20 wounded, according to local rescue services. While Israeli leaders confirmed Odeh’s death, Hamas has yet to officially issue a statement on his targeting.

Who Is Mohammed Odeh?

Mohammed Odeh briefly served as the commander of Hamas’s armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, between May 18 and May 25, 2026, during one of the most turbulent phases of the Gaza conflict.

Odeh was appointed to the top military post after his predecessor, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, was killed along with members of his family in an Israel Defence Forces strike in Gaza on May 15.

Before assuming command of the Qassam Brigades, Odeh headed Hamas’s military intelligence division and was considered one of the group’s most experienced security operatives. Security analysts believe he may have been among the last surviving senior figures in Hamas’s higher military leadership after months of Israeli strikes targeting the organisation’s command structure.

Odeh reportedly played a key role in intelligence gathering ahead of the October 7 attacks, including collecting information on Israeli military bases near the Gaza border and identifying vulnerabilities within the IDF’s Gaza Division.

Earlier in his career, Odeh worked within Hamas’s internal security apparatus, particularly in units tasked with identifying suspected Israeli informants operating inside Gaza. Over the years, he rose steadily through Hamas’s security and intelligence network before eventually leading the group’s military intelligence operations.

Israel had reportedly attempted to assassinate Odeh multiple times. In one strike targeting his family home in Gaza in 2025, his eldest son, Amr, was killed.

His brief tenure at the top of Hamas’s military wing underscored the rapidly shrinking leadership pool inside Gaza as Israeli operations continued targeting senior commanders across the enclave.

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