Israel kills Hamas' new armed wing chief Mohammad Odeh in Gaza strike
Odeh, appointed just a week ago after his predecessor was killed, is eliminated.
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The Israeli military announced on Wednesday that it had killed Mohammad Odeh, the newly appointed chief of Hamas’ armed wing in Gaza, in an operation the previous day. Odeh had been appointed roughly a week earlier to replace Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the group’s top armed commander who was killed by Israel on May 15. Odeh was the head of Hamas' intelligence division at the time of the October 7, 2023 cross-border attack that sparked the ongoing war, and was considered possibly the last surviving member of the armed wing’s senior leadership council.
According to a relative who confirmed the death, the funeral will take place in Gaza City. The Israeli strike destroyed the upper floor of a residential building in the Rimal neighborhood, killing at least six people—including Odeh, his wife, and his son—and wounding more than 20 others. Gaza health officials reported that rescuers were still searching for additional casualties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Odeh played a key role in the October 7 attack. Hamas has yet to issue an official statement, though the family’s statement confirmed the deaths.
- Mohammad Odeh, Hamas' new armed wing chief, was killed in an Israeli operation on Tuesday, just a week after his predecessor's death.
- The strike in Gaza City's Rimal neighborhood killed six people, including Odeh's wife and son, and wounded over 20 others.
- Odeh previously headed Hamas' intelligence division and was involved in the October 7, 2023 attack; his appointment was not formally confirmed by Hamas.
Why It Matters
This decapitation strike disrupts Hamas' military leadership continuity in Gaza amid intensified Israeli operations.