Click to see full-size image. (X)
An Israeli strike targeted the new military chief of Hamas, Mohammed Odeh, in the Gaza Strip on May 26, just 11 days after his predecessor was assassinated in a similar fashion.
Health officials in Gaza reported at least six people were killed and 20 wounded in the strike that targeted the Rimal neighborhood of western Gaza City.
The death of Odeh, who commanded Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades, was confirmed by Defense Minister Israel Katz the very next day.
“The fourth commander of the Hamas terror organization’s military wing in Gaza was eliminated yesterday and sent to meet his partners in the depths of hell,” he said in a post on X, praising the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet for their “brilliant execution.”
“We pledged to eliminate everyone who led the October 7 massacre, and that is what we will do,” Katz wrote. “They are all marked for death, everywhere.”
Katz also reiterated Israel’s goals of removing Hamas from power in Gaza and advancing what he described as a “voluntary emigration” from the enclave, “at the right time and in the right manner.”
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet security agency also confirmed Odeh’s death, saying in a joint statement that several buildings in Gaza City that he used as hideouts were targeted following months of intelligence tracking of his movements and those of his aides.
Click to see full-size image. (Israeli Defense Forces)
According to the statement, Odeh played a central role in planning and coordinating the October 7 attacks of 2023 and later directed attacks and intelligence operations against troops throughout the war.
The military and security agency also described Odeh as one of the last remaining senior Hamas military commanders involved in orchestrating the October 7 attacks, alleging that the assassination dealt a “significant blow” to the group’s efforts to rebuild.
While Hamas has not yet confirmed the death of Odeh, Palestinian media reported that he was indeed killed, alongside his wife and two of his sons.
The two other people killed in the strike were civilians, one of them was a woman. The death toll could rise further, as it is clear from the IDF and Shin Bet statement that all suspected buildings were targeted at once, with no regards to the safety of the people living there.
Hamas previous military chief, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, was killed in a very similar strike in Gaza City on May 15. His wife and daughter were killed along with him.
The latest deadly strikes came following Hebrew media reports accusing Hamas of taking advantage of the ceasefire to rebuild its military capabilities. The strikes were a major violation of the ceasefire in Gaza, which is a part of a stalled United States-sponsored peace plan.
Coupled with Katz’s remarks about “voluntary emigration,” the Israeli escalation suggests that the IDF could soon resume operations in Gaza, with the aim of cleansing the Strip.
While the assassination of Odeh was for sure a blow to Hamas and shows some emerging weaknesses in its security apparatus, it will not likely have any real effect on the group’s command and control chain which withstood major hits during the war.
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nunca matar líderes do hamas destruiu o grupo. isso não interfere em nada na reconstrução militar e misilística e de drones do hamas. israel é um cego ensandecido que acredita em suposições delirantes.