News Screen – The Israeli military stated that it had killed one of the main commanders of Hamas’s military wing, Ezzedine Al-Haddad, in an air strike in Gaza on Friday, May 16 2026, local time.
In an official statement on Saturday, the Israeli military together with the Shin Bet domestic security agency named Haddad as one of the important figures behind the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
“The Israeli Defense Forces and Shin Bet have eliminated Ezzedine Al-Haddad in a targeted operation in the Gaza City area,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
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A Hamas official confirmed Haddad’s death to AFP. He said Haddad died as a result of an Israeli attack that hit an apartment and civilian vehicles in Gaza City. According to another Hamas source, Haddad’s wife and a daughter were also reported to have died in the attack.
Photos circulating show Haddad’s funeral procession in Gaza with his body wrapped in a Hamas flag before being buried.
The Israeli military accused Haddad of being involved in the planning and execution of the October 7 2023 attack as well as managing the hostage system for Israeli citizens during the conflict.
On the other hand, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem called Haddad an important figure in the Palestinian struggle. “This loss is enormous, but the struggle will continue,” Qassem said.
Israel’s Chief of Military Staff, Eyal Zamir, considered the operation an important achievement in Israel’s efforts to hunt down the perpetrators of the October 2023 attack.
During the conflict, Israel claimed to have killed a number of Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif.
According to Hamas sources, Haddad was born in 1970 and took over leadership of Hamas’ military wing in May last year after his predecessor was killed in an Israeli attack. He is also said to have survived several previous assassination attempts.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas continues even though a ceasefire was implemented in October last year. Both parties accused each other of violating the ceasefire amid ongoing military operations in Gaza.
Data from Gaza health authorities shows that more than 72 thousand Palestinians have died since the conflict broke out, while Hamas attacks in October 2023 killed more than 1,200 people in Israel and left hundreds of residents hostage.***
