Shafaq News- Gaza
Israeli forces had killed senior Hamas military commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad, a senior commander in the military wing of Hamas, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, in an airstrike in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Friday.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster, the Israeli Air Force used drones and fighter jets to strike the apartment where Al-Haddad was allegedly hiding, while also targeting a vehicle leaving the area to prevent any possible escape.
Born in Gaza in 1970, Al-Haddad joined Hamas in 1987 and rose through the ranks from unit commander to head of Gaza Brigade operations. He was known by the aliases “Abu Suhaib” and “Ghost of Al-Qassam.” Al-Haddad was considered one of Hamas’ most senior remaining military leaders in Gaza. He served as commander of the Gaza City Brigade and was a member of the group’s smaller military council. Israeli reports said he played a central role in rebuilding Hamas’ military infrastructure and oversaw the development and production of Yassin-105 anti-armor rockets.
His homes in the Shujaiya and Al-Tuffah neighborhoods were repeatedly targeted during Israeli military campaigns in 2009, 2012, 2021, and throughout the war that followed the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
Israeli media previously identified Al-Haddad as one of the key operational planners behind the October 7 attack. He assumed command of the Gaza City Brigade after the killing of Hamas commander Bassem Issa in 2021.
In November 2023, Israel announced a $750,000 reward for information leading to his location. His son, Suhaib Al-Haddad, was reportedly killed in an Israeli strike on eastern Gaza City in January 2025.
At least four Palestinians are killed daily on average in Gaza since the October 2025 ceasefire, the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor reported, with Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling continuing without interruption. The Palestinian Ministry of Health recorded over 832 deaths and 2,354 injuries, along with 767 bodies recovered since the ceasefire took effect, bringing the cumulative toll since October 7, 2023, to 72,612 killed and 172,457 injured.