In brief
- Hamas said the new chief of its military wing, his wife and two of his children were killed in an Israeli strike.
- Hamas said Mohammed Odeh had been active with the group for more than three decades.
Hamas has confirmed that the leader of its military wing was killed in Israeli airstrikes, marking the second such incident in less than two weeks.
The Palestinian organization announced that Mohammed Odeh, the newly appointed leader, was killed on Tuesday, along with his wife and two of their children. This followed an announcement from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who stated that the Israeli military had specifically targeted and eliminated Odeh.
According to local medical sources, the strike on a Gaza City market resulted in the deaths of at least five people, including Odeh and his family, and left 12 others injured.
The airstrike occurred just a day before the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, a time traditionally marked by celebration and peace.
Subsequent strikes in the city on Thursday claimed the lives of at least seven more individuals, including two children and a woman. Over 20 people were reported injured, with children among the casualties, as confirmed by Shifa Hospital.
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Video from the scene showed flames pouring from an upper-floor window of a building and bystanders rushing to carry injured people, including some children, to waiting ambulances.
The Israeli military said on Thursday it had launched strikes in the northern Gaza Strip, targeting two Hamas militants.
Thousands of people gathered for the joint funeral of Odeh’s family in Gaza City. Mourners covered the four bodies with green Hamas flags and marched from a mosque through the city, chanting and firing shots in the air.
Some carried posters with Odeh’s photo, emblazoned with the words “one of the chiefs of staffs of the Qassam Brigades”, referring to Hamas’ military wing.
Hamas condemned the strike. It said Odeh had been active with the group for more than three decades and was part of the first generation that helped establish the movement’s military wing.
Katz called Odeh “one of the architects” of Hamas’ October 7 attack on southern Israel in 2023 that triggered the more than two-year war in Gaza. He said it was the fourth time Israel has killed the head of Hamas’ military wing since the start of the war. Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the previous head, was killed on 16 May.
Katz said that Israel would continue to target Hamas leaders involved in the October 7 attack.
“We pledged that Hamas will not hold civilian or military rule,” he said in a post on X.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is preparing for elections in the fall, also warned that Israel will target everyone involved in the 2023 attack.
A ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas in October remains fragile. Israeli attacks have killed more than 900 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect. Israel says its attacks are in response to violations by Hamas or threats to its soldiers, but Palestinian health officials say scores of civilians have been among the dead. Four Israeli soldiers have also been killed during this period in Gaza.
Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to the 2023 Hamas attack that killed some 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.
The Gaza health ministry says more than 72,803 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire.
For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.