Israeli military confirms death of Hamas commander Ezzedine Al‑Haddad

The Israeli military announced on Saturday that Ezzedine Al‑Haddad, a senior leader of Hamas’s armed wing, was killed in an air strike that took place in Gaza on Friday.

A joint statement from the Israel Defence Forces and the Shin Bet internal security agency said the strike was a targeted operation conducted in Gaza City.

“The IDF and the ISA announced that yesterday, in a precise strike in the area of the City of Gaza, the terrorist Ezzedine Al‑Haddad was eliminated,” the statement read.

Two Hamas officials also confirmed the death, noting that Haddad was struck when an Israeli attack hit a residential apartment and a civilian vehicle in Gaza City on Friday.

The Israeli military described Haddad as one of the few remaining senior commanders in Hamas’s military structure and alleged that he had helped coordinate the October 7 attack on Israel.

It further accused him of overseeing the detention of several Israeli hostages held by Hamas during the ongoing conflict.

“Throughout the war, Haddad was involved in the holding of many Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity,” the statement added.

Israeli authorities also claimed that Haddad supervised Hamas’s hostage‑detention network and deliberately stayed close to captives as a tactic to avoid being targeted.