Israel kills Hamas's newly appointed military chief in Gaza airstrike, 11 days after eliminating his predecessor

The strike and its immediate aftermath

Israeli forces killed Mohammed Odeh, the newly appointed chief of Hamas's military wing, in an airstrike on Gaza City on Tuesday. The strike targeted several buildings in the heart of the city that served as his hideout, following months of intelligence surveillance to track his movements and those of his aides. Gaza health officials reported that six people were killed and more than 20 wounded in the attack, which destroyed the upper floors of an apartment building in the Rimal neighbourhood. Rescue workers remained at the scene searching for additional casualties.

We promised to eliminate everyone who led the October 7 massacre. We will do it. They are all marked for death, wherever they are.

A relative of Odeh confirmed his death, and a family statement indicated he was killed along with his wife and son. Hamas later officially confirmed his death, calling on the population to participate in the funeral in Gaza City and stating that Odeh had "ascended to the highest ranks of jihad and sacrifice."

Who was Mohammed Odeh?

Odeh had long served as the head of intelligence for Hamas's military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Odeh headed Hamas's intelligence division at the time of the October 7, 2023 cross-border attack and was appointed about a week ago to replace Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who was killed by Israel on May 15. Hamas never formally announced Odeh's appointment, but sources close to the group acknowledged he was seen as Haddad's likely successor and was possibly the last remaining living member of the armed wing's higher leadership council.

Odeh was one of the main architects of the October 7 massacre.

Israeli military and Shin Bet statements described Odeh as responsible for planning and target designation during the October 7 attacks and for directing numerous terrorist attacks during the subsequent war. He was born in the Jabalia refugee camp and had been in Hamas's ranks since its founding in the late 1980s.

A pattern of targeted killings

Odeh is the fourth leader of Hamas's military wing to be killed since October 7, 2023. His predecessors include Yahya Sinwar, killed in October 2024; Mohamed Sinwar, killed in May 2025; and Izz al-Din al-Haddad, killed on May 15, 2026. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz celebrated the operation, congratulating the IDF and Shin Bet on "the brilliant execution" of the strike. Of the 16 senior Hamas military commanders identified by Israel as responsible for the October 7 infiltration, only one—Imad Aqel—reportedly remains alive.

Ceasefire in name only

Despite a ceasefire agreement in place since October 2025, violence in Gaza continues almost daily. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 906 people have been killed and 2,747 wounded in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025. The total death toll from the Israeli offensive launched after the October 7 attacks now exceeds 72,800 Palestinians, with over 172,800 wounded. The October 7 attack itself killed 1,221 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli data.

Wider regional escalation and displacement plans

Hours before the strike on Odeh, Israel announced it had expanded ground operations in Lebanon, where it has been fighting Hezbollah militants since launching attacks on Iran alongside the United States at the end of February. Israel is also intensifying military activities in the West Bank. Israeli Defense Minister Katz stated that Hamas would no longer exercise civilian or military control over Gaza and that a plan for "voluntary migration" from the enclave would be implemented "at the right time and in the right way." This plan, championed by Israel's far-right and partially endorsed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, has been denounced by the UN as aiming for permanent demographic change in Gaza.