Israeli forces killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the head of Hamas military wing and one of the principal architects of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, in a precision airstrike in Gaza City on Friday, the IDF and Shin Bet confirmed Saturday.
The strike targeted a building in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City. The Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency issued a joint statement confirming al-Haddad dead. He was among the most senior operational leaders remaining in Hamas after more than two years of Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called al-Haddad the chief murderer behind the October 7 massacre, in which Hamas-led attackers killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and abducted more than 250 into Gaza. Netanyahu vowed Israel would hunt down every terrorist involved, saying the state would pursue and reach them all.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog cited Psalm 18:37 in an X post praising Israeli security forces Saturday, writing that Israel would pursue its enemies and not return until they were destroyed. Herzog described al-Haddad as a mass murderer who devoted his life to terrorism, held Israeli hostages with unimaginable cruelty, and personally helped plan and lead the Oct. 7 operation. He said Israel would continue acting with determination against terrorism and would reach everyone who took part in the attacks.
Al-Haddad is among the highest-ranking Hamas military figures killed since Israel launched its Gaza campaign in October 2023. Israel has steadily worked through Hamas senior leadership, targeting commanders involved in planning and executing the Oct. 7 attacks.
