Israeli strike in Gaza City kills new head of Hamas military wing

2026-05-27 14:48:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The commander of Hamas' military wing, Mohammed Odeh, was killed in an attack in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday - days after his predecessor died in a similar attack.

At least three Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded in the attack, which hit a residential building in one of Gaza City's busiest market areas, local doctors and witnesses said.

The Israeli military and the Shin Bet security service said the buildings serving as shelters for Odeh were targeted after his movements were tracked for several months.

Hamas has not yet issued an official statement, but a local Hamas source and relatives said Odeh and his wife were killed along with their adult son.

Despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas reached in October, violence in Gaza has continued almost daily.

Tuesday's attack hit the top three floors of the al-Kayali building in downtown Gaza City, where the streets were packed with shoppers ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Rescue teams rushed to the scene, but had difficulty reaching the upper floors due to the extent of the damage and congestion in the area.

Witnesses said at least five rockets hit the building almost simultaneously from different directions.

One resident said he heard the sound of a helicopter hovering overhead before the attack.

Footage from the scene showed ambulances and civil protection teams searching the damaged building, while crowds of people gathered nearby.

A statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet said: "As part of a joint operation by the IDF and Shin Bet to eliminate terrorist Mohammed Odeh, several buildings in the heart of Gaza City that served as shelters for him were attacked, following months of intelligence surveillance aimed at tracking his movements and the movements of his assistants in the organization."

They added that they had also struck "a nearby apartment belonging to a Hamas terrorist who raided on October 7 and was part of Odeh's circle of assistants," referring to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that sparked the Gaza war.

A local Hamas source later told the BBC on Tuesday that Odeh and his wife had been killed.

Their family said Odeh's son died of his injuries in hospital on Wednesday morning and a funeral was held after midday prayers at a mosque in Gaza City.

A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Tuesday that Odeh was "one of the architects of the October 7 massacre."

"Odeh was responsible for the killing, kidnapping and wounding of numerous Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers," the statement continued.

Odeh's predecessor as commander of the group's armed wing, Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, was killed in another Israeli airstrike in early May.

That attack also targeted a residential building and killed at least three people, according to eyewitnesses and a local source.

Israel has carried out regular attacks across Gaza since the ceasefire began on October 10.

Hamas has repeatedly accused Israel of violating the terms of the ceasefire and attacking civilians. The Palestinian Health Ministry, run by Hamas, has reported the killing of more than 900 people in Israeli attacks during the ceasefire.

The Israeli government claims it has the license to target Hamas members and has accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement by failing to disarm.

The later stages of a US-led peace plan for Gaza have yet to take effect, with progress stalled since the US and Israel started a war with Iran in February.

The US announced the start of the second phase of the plan in January, with the governance of Gaza taken over by a technocratic transitional administration, along with the demilitarization and reconstruction of the territory.

However, disarmament talks remain deadlocked, while Hamas has since reactivated its police force and appears to be restoring its authority.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that Israel was committed to preventing Hamas from governing Gaza "whether civilianly or militarily."

He also said that what he called the "plan for voluntary emigration from Gaza" would be implemented "at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner."

In his statement, Netanyahu said Israel would "continue to pursue anyone who participated in the October 7 massacre," adding: "Sooner or later, Israel will catch up with them all."

About 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led attack and 251 others were taken hostage.

Israel responded by launching a massive military campaign in Gaza, which destroyed much of the Palestinian territory and left many of its 2.1 million residents displaced.

Israeli forces have killed more than 72,800 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN./ CNA, translated by BBC