LATEST: Israel confirms the death of the head of Hamas’s armed wing in a deadly attack in Gaza
International Report:
Global attention remains focused on this evolving story as officials and analysts assess the broader implications.
Hundreds of people paraded through the streets of Gaza City in the funeral procession of Izz al-Din al-Haddad. The head of Hamas’s armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, was assassinated by Israel on Friday, May 15. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Israel Katz had announced on Friday night that they had carried out targeted attacks against the Hamas military chief. This Saturday, the Israeli army confirmed the death of Izz al-Din al-Haddad. Mosques in Gaza City had also announced the death of Izz al-Din al-Haddad before militia spokesman Hazem Qassem also confirmed it in a video posted on Facebook. Friday’s airstrike against a building in Gaza City left several civilians dead and dozens injured. In addition to Izz al-Din al-Haddad’s wife and 19-year-old daughter, 7 other people died, including a child, according to local medical sources. People gather around a burning apartment building following an Israeli bombing, in Gaza City, May 15, 2026. REUTERS – Ebrahim Hajjaj Mohammed Al-Daya, a relative of several of the victims, described the moment of the attack to Reuters: “I heard the noise of the explosions, so I called a friend and asked: ‘What is happening?’ He told me: ‘They attacked the al-Muataz building,’ and my brother-in-law lives in the al-Muataz building, so I went to see and realized that they had died. He and his wife were attending a wedding and had just returned from there. “They were at the entrance to the building when the attack occurred.” One of the main military leaders of Hamas Izz al Din al Haddad, born in 1970, had succeeded Mohammed Sinouar, assassinated by Israel in May 2025, at the head of the al Qassam Brigades. He was nicknamed “The Phantom” as he had survived numerous assassination attempts. Israel considered him one of the masterminds of the October 7, 2023 attacks. People carry a body identified by mourners as that of Hamas military wing commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who was killed in an Israeli strike on Friday, during a funeral in Gaza City, May 16, 2026. REUTERS – Dawoud Abu Alkas According to Israeli media, the death of Izz al-Din al-Haddad would mean the elimination of one of the last major Hamas military commanders linked to the planning of the October 7 attacks from Gaza. Reuters reported that Israel considered him one of the architects of the 2023 offensive. Meanwhile, the movement’s political leadership, including figures such as Khalil al-Hayya and Khaled Mashal, continues to operate. “There is no ceasefire in Gaza” Although Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in October 2025 under a plan promoted by Donald Trump, Israel has continued to carry out almost daily attacks in Gaza, according to local authorities and press reports; and negotiations to move toward a broader solution remain stalled. In recent months, Gaza authorities have reported repeated violations of the ceasefire by Israel. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 800 people have died in the enclave since the truce came into force. To display this YouTube content, you must allow advertising and audience measurement cookies. Accept Manage my options An extension in your browser appears to be blocking the video player from loading. In order to view this content, you must disable it on this site. Try again © France 24 Emad al-Moutawaq, brother of one of the victims of this week’s Israeli attacks, told the AFP agency on Friday that the attacks do not stop: “The war is not over. In the media they tell us that there is a ceasefire, but on the ground, every day we have dead. Now we are burying the dead. An hour ago, we had buried others. And within an hour, we will bury more. It is an endless count,” he explained. The humanitarian situation also continues to deteriorate. Between April 27 and May 3, 2026, 750 commercial trucks from the private sector entered Gaza, about 107 a day, of which 85 transported hygiene items, 53 shelter materials and just 3 medical supplies; the remaining 24% were non-essential goods, according to the Humanitarian Situation Report of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on May 7, 2026. On the other hand, Israel is increasingly moving the yellow line (area under Israeli military control) towards the west of the Gaza Strip. On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his army now controls at least 60% of the enclave’s territory. With AFP and Reuters
Key Developments:
Analysts believe this development may influence future diplomatic, political, or economic discussions internationally.
Additional reactions from governments and international institutions are expected as the situation evolves.
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Source: This article was originally published by France 24 – Noticias y actualidad internacional en vivo and adapted for our international English-speaking audience.
Read the original article here.