Israel says it killed the leader of Hamas’ military wing, one of the architects of Oct. 7 attacks

Israel’s military announced an airstrike in Gaza killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the leader of Hamas’ military wing and one of the last surviving architects of the October 7 attacks. The strike, confirmed Friday, targeted al-Haddad, who Israel described as a senior commander directing the planning and execution of the attacks that killed 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in over 250 hostages taken to Gaza. Al-Haddad’s death was confirmed by his family, who said he was killed alongside six others, including his wife and daughter. His two sons had previously died during the war. Hamas’ military council, which al-Haddad belonged to, played a central role in the attacks that sparked the ongoing conflict. Israel’s military chief called the operation a significant achievement and vowed to continue targeting Hamas leaders. The strike comes as ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas remain stalled, with ongoing violence in Gaza despite a fragile truce. Since October, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported over 850 deaths from Israeli fire, while Israel has continued targeting Hamas members, including the son of Hamas’ lead negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya. Al-Haddad was said to have used Israeli hostages as human shields during the war. In parallel, violence escalated in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli troops shot and killed a 34-year-old Palestinian, Hassan Fayyad, in Jenin refugee camp. The Israeli military claimed Fayyad ignored warning shots before being fatally wounded. Earlier, troops killed a 15-year-old boy in Nablus after identifying three individuals throwing rocks at Israeli vehicles. Additionally, settlers set fire to a mosque and vehicles in the village of Jibiya, northwest of Ramallah, according to Palestinian authorities.