Israel confirms killing of Hamas military wing chief PHOTO

The Israel Defence Forces have confirmed the elimination of Izz ad-Din Haddad, the head of Hamas’s military wing and one of the organisers of the October 7, 2023, attack.

According to the IDF press service, the operation was described as a major operational success involving the Southern Command, AMAN, the Israeli Air Force, and the Shin Bet.

“This is a significant operational victory for the IDF with the participation of the Southern Command, AMAN, the Air Force, and the Shin Bet. This is an important closing of the circle. In all the conversations I had with returned hostages, the name of the main organiser of the killings, Haddad — one of the main figures responsible for the October 7 massacre and head of Hamas’s military wing — was mentioned again and again. Today, we succeeded in eliminating him. The IDF will continue to pursue our enemies, strike them, and bring to justice everyone who was involved in the October massacre. We will not stop until we reach everyone — this is our duty to all those who have returned and to all citizens of the State of Israel,” the statement said.

Haddad assumed leadership of the military wing after the killing of Yahya Sinwar. In that role, he worked to rebuild the group’s combat capabilities and was involved in planning attacks against Israeli civilians and military personnel.

According to the Israeli side, he also played a role in holding Israeli hostages, using them as a “human shield” to avoid being targeted.

Haddad had been affiliated with Hamas since its founding and maintained close ties with its leadership. The strike against him was carried out in the Gaza area as part of Israel’s broader operation targeting senior Hamas commanders.

By Tamilla Hasanova