# IDF Strike Kills Hamas Military Chief Izz al-Din al-Haddad in Gaza City, Last Senior Architect of October 7 Attacks Still in Gaza

*2026-05-16 10:01 UTC · Other · 1 min read*

> IDF confirms killing Hamas military chief Izz al-Din al-Haddad in a Gaza City strike, eliminating the last senior Hamas leader linked to the October 7 attacks.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed on May 16, 2026 the killing of Izz al-Din al-Haddad, head of Hamas's military wing and the group's top commander in the Gaza Strip. The strike hit a residential building in Gaza City's Rimal neighborhood on May 15, with Israeli fighter jets and drones simultaneously targeting a vehicle leaving the area to prevent escape.

Haddad, 56, took over Hamas's Gaza operations after Mohammed Sinwar was killed in May 2025 and was described by Israeli officials as the last architect of October 7 still alive in Gaza. He held former hostages Emily Damari and Liri Albag captive, both of whom celebrated reports of his death. Mosques in Gaza City announced his martyrdom overnight before Hamas confirmed the killing through regional media.

The strike eliminates every senior Hamas figure tied to the October 7, 2023 massacre and complicates already-fragile ceasefire talks, with no clear successor yet named to lead what remains of the militant group's military command.

## Sources

- [jpost.com](https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-896332)
- [timesofisrael.com](https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-airstrike-targets-hamas-military-leader-izz-al-din-al-haddad-the-last-architect-of-oct-7/)
- [washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/05/15/israel-says-strike-targeted-izz-al-din-al-haddad-last-senior-hamas-leader-involved-oct-7/)

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TechTools News · https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/1658-idf-strike-kills-hamas-military-chief-izz-al-din-al-haddad-in-gaza-city-last
Česká verze: https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/1731-izraelsky-utok-zabil-v-gaze-velitele-vojenskeho-kridla-hamasu-izz-ad-din-al