Despite a fragile US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, Israel carried out a strike targeting Hamas’ most senior military leader, according to a joint statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Israel held Izz al-Din al-Haddad responsible for being one of the “architects” of the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023 and for holding hostages in the attack’s aftermath. Israel also accused al-Haddad of refusing “to implement the agreement led by US President (Donald) Trump for Hamas to disarm and for the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.”
The secretive al-Haddad is considered one of the most important figures in Hamas, known as the “Ghost of al-Qassam” for the low profile he maintains. He is the head of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing.
A senior Israeli security official said initial indications were that the assassination of al-Haddad was successful.
CNN is unable to independently confirm whether al-Haddad was killed in the strike.
CNN has reached out to Hamas for comment.
The attack comes despite an ostensible ceasefire that has been in place since October. Israel has carried out regular strikes in Gaza that it says are targeting Hamas or what officials describe as imminent threats to Israeli forces occupying more than half of the destroyed enclave.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
