The Israeli military on Saturday confirmed that Hamas military chief Izz al-Din al-Haddad was eliminated in a "precise strike" in northern Gaza on Friday.
A senior Hamas leader also confirmed Haddad's death, reported Reuters. Haddad's wife and daughter were also killed in the airstrike, according to reports.
Who was Izz al-Din al-Haddad?
Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who was Hamas Gaza head, was nicknamed "The Ghost". He got the nickname because he previously survived multiple Israeli assassination attempts, according to Hamas sources. Haddad, who joined Hamas in the 1980s, was one of its longest surviving commanders.
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Haddad succeeded Mohammed Sinwar after the latter was killed in May 2025. Sinwar was the brother of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
IDF described Haddad as "one of the architects of the brutal October 7 massacre." "Throughout the war, Haddad was involved in holding 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.
He was instrumental in "rebuilding the capabilities" of Hamas military wing, said IDF. He also allegedly planned several terror attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians amid US-brokered ceasefire.
Two other Hamas operatives who attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, were also killed in similar airstrikes in the Gaza Strip recently. They were identified as Khamer Iyad Muhammad Al-Matouq and Khaled Muhammad Salem Jouda.
Abdel Rahman Mahmoud Jumaa Shafi, a member of Bureij battalion of Hamas, was another militant killed in central Gaza on Wednesday. IDF said he was behind several attacks on Israeli troops deployed in Gaza.