Israel kills Hamas military chief who helped plan October 7 attack

Mourners carry portraits of Ezzedine Al-Haddad, the slain chief of the Qassam Brigades - the armed wing of Palestinian movement Hamas, who was killed in an Israeli strike on May 17 with his daughter and wife. Photo / Omar al-Qattaa, AFP

Israel has killed “one of the last architects” of the October 7 massacres in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip, its military said.

Ezzedine al-Haddad, the chief of Hamas’ armed wing, was killed in an attack on Gaza City on Friday local time, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said.

Seven people were killed and dozens wounded in the airstrike, according to Palestinian health officials.

“The IDF and the ISA announce that yesterday, in a precise strike in the area of Gaza City, the terrorist Ezzedine al-Haddad was eliminated,” the Israeli military said, referring to itself and the Shin Bet domestic security agency.

The military said Haddad was “one of the last senior commanders in Hamas’ military wing who directed the planning and execution of the October 7 massacre”.

It added that Haddad had held Israeli hostages during the war and had surrounded himself with them to protect his life.

Hamas officials separately confirmed the killing, saying Haddad died in an attack on a residential building.

Mosques in northern Gaza also announced Haddad’s “martyrdom”. His funeral was held in Gaza City, where mourners carried his body, wrapped in Hamas and Palestinian flags.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, described Haddad as “one of the architects” of the October 7 attack.

He pledged to continue pursuing those involved in the massacres, saying: “Sooner or later, Israel will reach you”.

Despite the warring parties agreeing to a ceasefire last October, Gaza has seen near-daily exchanges of fire that have killed more than 850 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

In the north, the Israeli military has continued to strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon even as Israel and Beirut agreed in Washington to extend a ceasefire by 45 days.

“The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress,” a United States State Department official said.

The official said the two sides would meet in July for talks aimed at reaching a permanent peace deal.

Lebanon’s delegation at the talks in Washington said that the extension of the ceasefire agreement, alongside the creation of a US-backed security mechanism, could help lay the groundwork for “lasting stability” in the region.

The Israeli military said its forces had killed more than 220 Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon over the past week.

It added that Israeli troops had also carried out strikes on more than 440 Hezbollah targets in the area during that period.