The “martyrdom” of the commander of Hamas' military wing was announced on Saturday in mosques in the northern Gaza Strip, Reuters reported. The day before, the Israeli army carried out an attack there, targeting Haddad.
The Israeli army confirmed several dozen minutes later in a statement that Haddad had been killed as a result of Friday's airstrike. As a result of this operation, at least three people were killed and 20 were injured. A residential building and a car were hit, Reuters reported on Friday.
Haddad, “one of the architects of the brutal massacre of October 7 (2023)”, was the victim of a “precision attack” in Gaza City, the Israeli military said. According to the IDF, he “worked to rebuild the military potential of the terrorist organization's wing and plan numerous terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.”
“He took part in holding hostages”
“During the war, Haddad participated in the holding of numerous Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity. Haddad operated the Hamas hostage system and surrounded himself with hostages in an attempt to prevent his own death,” the Israeli Defense Forces said.
Haddad was the highest-ranking Hamas official attacked since a ceasefire in the Gaza war came into force in the fall of 2025. He was also one of the organizers of the attack on Israel in the fall of 2023.
He became the commander of Hamas' armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, after Israeli troops killed two of his predecessors during the war in the Gaza Strip: Mohamed Deif and Mohamed Sinwar.
Israel attacks the Gaza Strip again
Since the ceasefire in the US-Israeli war with Iran entered into force on April 8, Israeli troops have intensified attacks on the Gaza Strip, believing that Hamas is rebuilding its military capabilities there, Reuters recalled.
A ceasefire has also been formally in force in the Gaza Strip since October 10, 2025. The Israeli army controls more than half of the area, while the rest is ruled by Hamas. The group refuses to lay down its weapons, which is one of the points of contention that prevents the introduction of further provisions of the agreement negotiated by the US.
Israeli troops attack the Gaza Strip almost every day. The army emphasizes in its announcements that the targets of the strikes are terrorists posing a threat. However, the media and the Palestinian authorities report that women and children are also among the victims.
72,700 people have died since the beginning of the war. Palestinians, 857 of them after the truce was concluded, the Gaza Strip Ministry of Health notified on Friday. Since the ceasefire came into force, at least four Israeli soldiers have been killed in attacks by Palestinian militants.
