Israeli forces say Izz al-Din al-Haddad, a long-serving Hamas commander who helped plan the Oct. 7 attacks, was killed in Gaza City on Friday.
The Israel Defense Forces identified Haddad as the head of Hamas’ military wing and said in a statement that he was “involved in the holding of many Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity” during the war in Gaza. The IDF said he had surrounded himself with hostages to deter efforts to eliminate him and that he was one of the last surviving architects of the Oct. 7 attacks that left about 1,200 people dead and more than 250 taken captive.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir called the strike “an important closing of a circle,” saying returned abductees had repeatedly named Haddad when recounting the attacks and their captivity.
The Israeli army said Haddad was killed in a “precise strike” in Gaza City. His family confirmed his death to The Associated Press, saying he was killed alongside six others, including his wife and daughter. The family’s members were buried in a funeral held in Gaza City on Saturday.
The AP reported two Israeli strikes in Gaza City on Friday — one that hit a building and another that struck a vehicle. Health officials at the Palestine Red Crescent Society’s Saraya Field Hospital and at Shifa Hospital told the AP that seven people were killed and dozens more wounded in those strikes.
According to the IDF, Haddad joined Hamas in its early years and kept close ties to the group’s leadership. Israeli officials said he had recently been working to rebuild and strengthen Hamas’ military capabilities following earlier rounds of fighting.
The Israeli announcement follows months of military operations in Gaza since the Oct. 7 attacks. Israeli authorities have repeatedly targeted senior Hamas figures they say were responsible for planning the assault and for the detention of Israeli civilians and soldiers.
The killing of Haddad is likely to heighten tensions and could prompt further Israeli operations in Gaza, amid ongoing international concern about civilian casualties and the humanitarian situation in the enclave.
Reporting on the strikes and fatalities cited statements from the IDF, confirmation from Haddad’s family to the AP, and casualty information from Gaza health facilities. Updated May 16, 2026.