Israel confirms Hamas armed wing chief killed in Gaza strike

The Israeli military confirmed on Saturday that Ezzedine Al-Haddad, chief of Hamas's armed wing, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza the previous day.

Two Hamas officials also confirmed his death to AFP, saying he was struck in a residential apartment and a civilian vehicle in Gaza City. The Israeli military said the strike was carried out jointly with the Shin Bet domestic security agency.

Who was Ezzedine Al-Haddad and why was he targeted?

Al-Haddad was one of the last remaining senior commanders in Hamas's military wing and, according to Israel, a key architect of the October 7 massacre.

He was responsible for directing the planning and execution of the attack. Throughout the war, he managed Hamas's hostage captivity system and was accused of surrounding himself with hostages in an attempt to prevent his elimination.

What did Israel say about the Gaza strike?

The Israeli military confirmed the killing in a formal statement on Saturday. "The IDF and the ISA announce that yesterday, in a precise strike in the area of the City of Gaza, the terrorist Ezzedine Al-Haddad was eliminated," the statement read.

The military added that Haddad had been directly involved in holding many Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity throughout the war.

Gaza mosques in the north announced his death on Saturday, a day after Israel first said it had targeted him. Hamas officials independently confirmed to AFP that Haddad was killed in a strike on a residential apartment and a civilian vehicle in Gaza City on Friday. Israel had initially said on Friday that battle damage assessment was still pending, before issuing Saturday's formal confirmation.