Hamas military chief Mohammed Odeh killed in Israeli strike in Gaza just 11 days after his appointment to the post

Hamas military chief Mohammed Odeh killed

On Tuesday, 26th May, Israel carried out a major strike in Gaza City targeting senior Hamas commander Mohammed Odeh, who had recently been appointed as the group’s military chief. According to Israeli media and the Israeli Defence Forces, Odeh was killed in the attack.

IDF posted on X, “ELIMINATED: Mohammed Odeh – Head of Hamas’ Military Wing in a strike in northern Gaza.” They added that Odeh served as the Head of Hamas’ military wing following the elimination of Izz al-Din al-Haddad. He was responsible for planning and coordinating Hamas terrorists’ infiltration and attack targets during the October 7 Massacre.

The strike took place in the Rimal neighbourhood of western Gaza City. Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed Odeh’s death in a post on X. He said, “The commander of Hamas terror organization’s military arm number 4 in Gaza was eliminated yesterday and sent to meet his partners in the depths of hell.”

The Defence Minister added, “We committed to eliminating everyone who led the October 7 massacre, and so it shall be: they are all sentenced to death, wherever they may be. We committed that Hamas will not rule Gaza civilly or militarily, and so it shall be, and also the voluntary emigration plan from Gaza will be implemented—everything at the right timing and in the right manner.”

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the operation specifically targeted Odeh. He had taken over the position only 11 days earlier after Israel killed his predecessor, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, in another strike on 15th May.

“Under the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, the IDF has just carried out a strike in Gaza targeting Mohammed Odeh – the new commander of the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organisation and one of the architects of the October 7 massacre,” a joint statement issued by Netanyahu and Katz said. 

Israeli public broadcaster Kan, quoting security sources, reported that early intelligence findings said the operation was successful and Odeh had been eliminated. Hamas has not yet issued any statement regarding the reports.

Odeh joins a long list of Hamas leaders who were killed by Israel since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023. During the last year, several top leaders of Hamas have been attacked by Israeli forces, such as Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammed Sinwar.

Israel intensifies operations in Gaza

Israeli strikes continued across Gaza late Tuesday night, just hours before Eid al-Adha celebrations were set to begin. According to hospital officials in Gaza, at least three people were killed, and 12 others were injured in airstrikes carried out in Gaza City.

The injured and the bodies of those killed were taken to Shifa Hospital, where medical officials confirmed the casualties. The strikes came at a time when many families in Gaza were preparing for Eid, one of the most important festivals in Islam.

The latest attacks once again highlighted how fragile the ceasefire situation remains between Israel and Hamas. Although a truce had reduced fighting for some time, violence has continued in different parts of Gaza. Palestinian health authorities claim that more than 880 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire came into effect last year. Israel, however, has maintained that its military actions are aimed at stopping Hamas activities and protecting Israeli forces.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 72,700 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, though the ministry does not separate civilian deaths from militant casualties in its figures.

Israel’s campaign against Hamas leadership

Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post described the targeting of Odeh as a major intelligence achievement because Israel managed to identify and strike Hamas’s newly appointed military chief within days of his appointment.

Since the beginning of the war, Israel has launched an aggressive campaign to eliminate Hamas’s political and military leadership. Israeli operations have also expanded beyond Gaza into Lebanon and other parts of the region, targeting groups allied with Hamas.

Israeli strikes have killed several senior Hezbollah commanders as well, including former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. Israel says these operations are necessary to prevent future attacks and weaken terror networks operating against it.

The 7th October attack that triggered the war

The current war began after the deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7th October 2023, one of the worst terror attacks in the country’s history. Around 1,221 people were killed after Hamas militants crossed into Israeli territory and attacked civilians, security personnel and residential communities.

Following the massacre, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza aimed at destroying Hamas’s military infrastructure and leadership. Since then, the conflict has reshaped the region and led to continuous fighting between Israel, Hamas and allied terror groups like Hezbollah.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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