Israel Targets New Hamas Military Chief
Israel has said it carried out a strike in Gaza targeting Mohammed Odeh, the newly appointed head of Hamas’s armed wing. The Israeli government described Odeh as one of the figures involved in the October 7 attack, though it was not immediately clear whether he was killed in the strike.
Israel Targets Mohammed Odeh In Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military targeted Odeh in Gaza after identifying him as the new commander of Hamas’s Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades.
Odeh was reportedly appointed to the role after the killing of his predecessor, Ezzedine Al-Haddad, in an Israeli strike earlier this month. Israel said Odeh had previously served as the head of Hamas intelligence during the October 7 attack.
Hamas Military Wing Leadership
According to Israel, Odeh was responsible for planning and supporting operations that led to the killing, abduction and injury of Israeli civilians and soldiers. The strike forms part of Israel’s wider campaign to target senior Hamas political and military figures after the October 7 assault.
Israel has also targeted other senior Hamas leaders in Gaza and outside the territory since the war began.
Gaza Strike Casualties Reported
Gaza’s civil defence agency said at least three people were killed and 20 others wounded in an Israeli airstrike in the Rimal neighbourhood of western Gaza City.
The latest strike comes amid the continuing Israel-Gaza war, which has caused heavy casualties and widespread destruction. Israel has maintained that it will continue targeting Hamas commanders linked to the October 7 attack, while humanitarian concerns in Gaza remain severe.
