Israel’s PM says close to killing all architects of October 7 attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Sunday that Israel is nearing the completion of a primary objective in the Gaza war: eliminating all individuals responsible for orchestrating the October 7 attack. This declaration comes after the Israeli military announced the death of Ezzedine al-Haddad, a commander within Hamas's armed wing, in a Gaza air strike on Friday. Following the October 7 assault, which resulted in 1,221 deaths according to official Israeli figures, Netanyahu had vowed to target and eliminate the masterminds behind the attacks. The article does not provide further details on the specific number of architects targeted or the timeline for this objective.

Israel's assassination of Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the recently appointed head of Hamas's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, on Friday in Gaza City has dealt a symbolic blow to the Palestinian group. Al-Haddad, a key military figure and architect of the October 7 attacks, was killed in a dual-strike that also resulted in civilian casualties. Despite Israeli claims that the killing will cripple Hamas's operational capacity, analysts suggest the group's decentralized structure and leadership succession protocols will allow it to adapt quickly. Al-Haddad had reportedly used the previous ceasefire to rebuild the group's infrastructure. The assassination raises questions about the future of the Gaza ceasefire and Hamas's military leadership.

Hamas has confirmed the killing of Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the head of its armed wing in Gaza, the Qassam Brigades, in an Israeli attack on Friday evening. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israeli forces targeted al-Haddad, describing him as an architect of the October 7 attacks. The strikes, which occurred in the Remal neighborhood west of Gaza City, also killed seven other Palestinians, including al-Haddad's wife and daughter, and other civilians. Hamas condemned the attack as a "treacherous and cowardly assassination" and a breach of a ceasefire agreement, accusing Israel of ongoing aggression against civilians and disregard for international law. Medical sources reported that three Palestinians died in a strike on a vehicle and four in a strike on a building, with women and a baby among the casualties.

Israel announced it killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the leader of Hamas' military wing, in an airstrike in Gaza City on Friday. Israeli officials identified al-Haddad as one of the last senior commanders who directed the planning and execution of the October 7, 2023 attacks. His family confirmed his death on Saturday. Al-Haddad assumed leadership of the military wing after his predecessor was killed. This development occurs amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with progress stalled on key issues like Hamas' disarmament. The article also notes that al-Haddad's daughter and wife were killed in the same strike.

Israel announced it has killed Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, a Hamas commander described as an architect of the October 7 attack, in an air strike in Gaza City. Israel claims Haddad refused to implement a US-led agreement for Hamas to disarm and demilitarize Gaza, accusing Hamas of breaching a ceasefire. This comes as US-led peace efforts have stalled, with talks on disarmament deadlocked and Hamas reportedly reasserting its authority. The conflict began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023, followed by Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

Israel has escalated attacks in Gaza over the past week, resulting in at least four Palestinian deaths in 24 hours and over 800 since an October ceasefire. These actions occur amidst the devastation of a two-year war that has killed over 72,500 Palestinians. Israeli forces are intensifying targeted killings of Palestinian police officers, which analysts suggest is a strategy to maintain a state of war and undermine a US-brokered agreement. Concurrently, Israel is expanding its military control in western Gaza, effectively partitioning the territory and controlling approximately 60 percent of the enclave. This military escalation appears to be sidelining new US-backed governance structures.