Israel Claims to Have Killed Hamas Military Leader Ezzedin Al-Haddad in Gaza

Sat, 16 May 2026, 20:17 WIB | By Wisnu Arto Subari | Source: MEDIA_INDONESIA | Politics

High volatility is likely to continue until the end of May.

The Israeli military claims to have killed a senior Hamas military leader in Gaza, Ezzedin al-Haddad, in an airstrike on Friday evening (May 15). This move is described as an effort to eliminate a key target who has been pursued for a long time in connection with the October 7, 2023 attack, even though the area is technically under a ceasefire.

Ezzedin al-Haddad, a veteran Hamas member who took over military command after his predecessor was killed, reportedly died in the Al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City. Israel accuses Haddad of being one of the main planners of the attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and resulted in about 250 others being taken hostage.

Israel states that it deployed fighter jets to strike Haddad shortly after receiving intelligence information about his location. Witnesses in Gaza City reported hearing loud explosions in the Al-Rimal neighborhood around 8:00 p.m. local time.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that the military is implementing a policy of acting preemptively against existing threats. However, this operation has sparked questions because it was carried out during an ongoing ceasefire agreement in the territory.

Impact on Casualties: Palestinian health authorities reported that in the last 48 hours, as many as 13 people were killed and 57 others injured in Gaza due to various attacks, although it was not detailed how many of them were combatants.

Haddad was known by the nickname Ghost of al-Qassam because of his very secretive profile. He had previously survived several assassination attempts by Israel. In addition to his role in planning the October 7 attack, he is also said to be responsible for recruiting new fighters and overseeing the detention of Israeli hostages.

According to reports, Haddad joined Hamas in its early years and rose through the ranks of the Al-Qassam Brigade. He also served in al-Majd, Hamas’ internal security unit that hunts down collaborators and spies.

When Haddad took over as head of military affairs in Gaza in the spring of 2025, he became the third leader in a seven-month period, following the deaths of Yahya and Mohammed Sinwar. Of the dozen or so senior members of Hamas’ military council before the war, Haddad was one of the few who were still alive until he was declared dead.

Under his leadership, Haddad sought to rebuild Hamas’ shrinking military ranks by recruiting thousands of new recruits, although they are reportedly less trained and have fewer resources. To date, Hamas continues to resist pressure to disarm and maintain its authority over about 40% of the Gaza Strip that is not under Israeli military control.

Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza, stated that Hamas’ failure to disarm hinders progress on a peace agreement. On the other hand, Hamas denies accusations that it is obstructing efforts to build temporary housing for residents of Gaza.

Although Israel claims to have destroyed most of Hamas’ weapons depots and killed thousands of its fighters, the Israeli military continues to carry out routine attacks against those it considers threats along the border. (WSJ/I-2)

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