GAZA CITY — An Israeli strike in Gaza City killed the new head of Hamas’s military wing, Mohammed Odeh, on Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security service confirmed. Odeh had been selected as commander of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades only days earlier, following the death of his predecessor, Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, in a similar Israeli strike earlier in May. The strike hit the upper three floors of the al-Kayali residential building in one of Gaza City’s busiest market areas as streets were crowded with shoppers preparing for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. Odeh’s wife and two of his children were also killed, Hamas confirmed on Wednesday. Dozens more were injured.

How the Strike Unfolded

Witnesses said at least five missiles struck the building almost simultaneously from different directions. One resident reported hearing a helicopter hovering overhead before the attack. Rescue teams rushed to the scene but struggled to reach the upper floors because of the scale of the damage and congestion in the area.

The IDF and Shin Bet said in a joint statement that “several buildings in the heart of Gaza City that served as a hideout” for Odeh were targeted “after months of intelligence surveillance in order to track his movements and the movements of his assistants.” Israeli forces also struck “a nearby apartment belonging to a Hamas terrorist who raided on October 7 and was part of Odeh’s circle of assistants,” referring to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.

Official Responses

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Odeh was “one of the architects of the October 7 massacre” and was “responsible for the murder, abduction, and wounding of many Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers.” Netanyahu vowed Israel would “continue to pursue anyone who took part in the October 7 massacre,” adding: “Sooner or later, Israel will reach them all.”

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel was committed to preventing Hamas from governing Gaza “either civilly or militarily.” He added that what he called the “plan for voluntary emigration from Gaza” would be implemented “at the proper time and in the proper manner.”

Hamas held a funeral for Odeh after noon prayers at a mosque in Gaza City on Wednesday. The group has repeatedly accused Israel of breaching the terms of the ceasefire and attacking civilians.

Ceasefire Context

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began on 10 October. Israel has conducted regular strikes across Gaza since then, maintaining it has the licence to target Hamas members. Israel has accused Hamas of breaching the ceasefire agreement by failing to disarm.

More than 900 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes during the ceasefire, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the United Nations considers reliable.

The latter phases of a US-led peace plan for Gaza have yet to come into force. The US announced the start of the second phase in January, with governance of Gaza to be assumed by a transitional, technocratic administration alongside demilitarisation and reconstruction. Talks on disarmament remain deadlocked, while Hamas has reactivated its police force and appears to be reasserting its authority.

About 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023, and 251 others were taken hostage. Israel’s military campaign in response has killed more than 72,800 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry.

Regional Context

The strike on Gaza City occurred as Israeli forces also struck Lebanon, where 31 people were killed on Tuesday, and Netanyahu vowed to step up military action against Hezbollah. The IDF ordered the evacuation of ten villages in southern Lebanon.

The violence continues against the backdrop of US-Iran negotiations in Doha, where a 60-day ceasefire extension, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and a framework for nuclear talks are being discussed through Qatari mediators.

Written by the Middle East Desk, drawing on IDF and Shin Bet statements, the Prime Minister’s Office, Hamas sources, Reuters reporting, and Gaza Health Ministry figures. The desk has covered the Israel-Gaza conflict since October 2023.

Source: Israel Defense Forces, Shin Bet, Hamas, Reuters, Gaza Health Ministry