Israel said on Wednesday that it had killed Mohammed Odeh, the reported new chief of Hamas ’s military wing, in a series of overnight air strikes on Gaza City, marking the latest in a string of targeted assassinations against senior figures in the Palestinian group.
In a statement, the Israeli military said Odeh was killed in a joint operation conducted by the army and the Shin Bet intelligence agency, which targeted several buildings in central Gaza on Tuesday night.
The military claimed Odeh was a key figure in Hamas’s armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and accused him of playing a role in planning and coordinating the 7 October attacks, as well as overseeing intelligence operations against Israeli forces in the months that followed.
Hamas has not confirmed Odeh’s death. However, Palestinian media outlets circulated reports on Wednesday morning indicating that he had been killed alongside members of his family , including his wife and children.
Odeh, a former intelligence chief within Hamas, had reportedly assumed leadership of the Qassam Brigades only weeks earlier, following the killing of his predecessor, Izz al-Din Haddad, in a separate Israeli strike.
His reported death would mark another blow to the group’s senior military leadership, after Israel previously killed Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, and political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The strikes on Tuesday night caused significant civilian casualties, according to Palestinian medical sources, who said at least six people were killed and dozens more wounded in Gaza City, particularly in the densely populated Rimal neighbourhood.
Sources on the ground told The New Arab that Israeli warplanes carried out multiple simultaneous strikes targeting the Ajjour building. Rescue teams were able to recover at least one body from the rubble and transport numerous injured civilians to al-Shifa Hospital.
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) said one of its staff members and her infant son were among those injured in the attack. Medics warned that the timing and location of the strikes contributed to the high number of casualties.
Aid workers said the area was crowded at the time, with residents gathering and moving through the streets ahead of Eid al-Adha. Mai Elawawda, MAP’s communications officer in Gaza, said the attacks had compounded the suffering of civilians during what is typically a period of celebration.
“These attacks come at a time that should have been marked by Eid celebrations, yet instead they are overshadowed by ongoing attacks during the so-called ceasefire,” she said.
Despite the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on 11 October 2025, violence has continued across the Gaza Strip.
According to Palestinian health authorities, at least 906 people have been killed since the truce began, amid near-daily Israeli air strikes and artillery fire. The overall death toll in Gaza since October 2023 has now surpassed 72,700.
The latest escalation comes as diplomatic efforts to advance a US-backed ceasefire plan for Gaza remain stalled.
The proposal, initially put forward by US President Donald Trump, envisioned a phased ceasefire, disarmament of Hamas, and the eventual establishment of a technocratic administration to govern the enclave while reconstruction efforts got underway.
However, negotiations have faltered in recent months, particularly following the US-Israeli war with Iran earlier this year. Talks over disarmament remain a key sticking point, with Hamas insisting it will not relinquish its weapons unless Israel fully withdraws from the Gaza Strip, large parts of which remain under Israeli military control.
The second phase of the plan, which had been scheduled to begin in January, has yet to materialise. Hamas continues to maintain de facto control over Gaza and has reportedly reactivated elements of its internal police force, further complicating efforts to reach a political settlement.