in a statement to Al Jazeera, Hamas confirms the assassination of its Al-Qassam Brigades commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad in an Israeli raid on Gaza City last night.
This comes following an announcement regarding the assassination operation by the Israeli military and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
About Izz al-Din al-Haddad
Also known by his nom de guerre Abu Suhaib (Arabic: أبو صهيب), was a Palestinian politician and militant who has served as the leader and commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades since May 2025.
He has also served as the fourth Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip since May 2025. He held both positions following the assassination of his predecessor, Mohammed Sinwar. He also co-currently served as the head of the Gaza Brigade and oversees the northern sector of the Gaza Strip.
Al-Haddad was a member of Hamas’s General Military Council and has been instrumental in planning and executing the group’s operations. He is known as the “Ghost of al-Qassam” in Gaza.
Before his death, he was one of the longest-serving field commanders and a key architect of the October 7, 2023 attacks. Following his death, the position of top Hamas military leader in Gaza is currently vacant.
Hamas’s overall leadership is headed by Khalil al-Hayya , who has been leading Hamas’s political bureau and ceasefire negotiations. He was formally elected to lead the group following the assassination of Yahya Sinwar.
Yahya and Mohammad Sinwar were top Hamas leaders and brothers from the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza who both served as the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Both brothers were killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the ongoing conflict.
Yahya Sinwar: The overall leader of Hamas and a primary architect of the October 7, 2023, attacks was killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during a firefight in Rafah in October 2024 , while his brother Mohammad Sinwar was killed by the IDF in May 2025 during an airstrike targeting underground infrastructure in Khan Younis
El Nashra/ News Agencies
