Israel said it killed Mohammed Odeh, the newly appointed commander of Hamas’s military wing, in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip, only days after his predecessor was killed in a similar operation. According to Israeli officials, Odeh had recently taken over leadership of the Al-Qassam Brigades after the death of Izz ad-Din al-Haddad in a previous Israeli strike.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the strike was carried out on their orders. They claimed Odeh had been one of the organizers of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and that, at the time, he served as head of Hamas intelligence. Israeli authorities also accused him of responsibility for killings, kidnappings and attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Israel’s Shin Bet security agency said the operation followed months of intelligence surveillance aimed at tracking Odeh’s movements and those of his associates. According to Shin Bet, several buildings in the heart of Gaza City that served as his hiding place were targeted in the joint operation with the Israeli military. Witnesses said at least five projectiles hit the building from different directions.
