New head of Hamas' military wing killed in strike on Gaza, Israel says

By Nathan Rennolds Published on 27/05/2026 - 9:32 GMT+2 Share Comments Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office described Odeh as one of the "architects" of the October 7 attacks.

The new commander of Hamas' military wing has been killed in a strike on northern Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday.

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Mohammed Odeh was targeted in a strike on Gaza City following "months of intelligence monitoring and operational tracking," Israel's military said.

Odeh had previously been in charge of Hamas’ intelligence headquarters but had reportedly taken over as the head of the military wing following the death of the previous leader Izz al-Din al-Haddad earlier this month.

"As part of the operation to eliminate Odeh, the IDF struck terrorist infrastructure sites in Gaza City that were used by Odeh and additional Hamas operatives," the IDF said in a statement.

"Simultaneously, the IDF struck a nearby hideout apartment belonging to a Hamas terrorist who infiltrated Israel during the October 7th massacre and operated within Odeh’s network," it added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office described Odeh as one of the "architects" of the October 7 attacks.

"Odeh was responsible for the murder, abduction, and wounding of many Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers," it said.

It comes as Israel ramps up military operations in Lebanon, where its forces are clashing with the Iran-backed group Hezbollah.

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• Gaza City
• Hamas
• Israel
• Israel Hamas war