Hamas confirms top commander killed in Israeli air strike A Hamas official has confirmed to the BBC that Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, the commander of the group's armed wing, was killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on Friday. The strike, which targeted a residential building known as Al-Mu'taz, marked another escalation in the ongoing conflict despite a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that took effect on October 10. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement accusing Haddad of being responsible for the murder, kidnapping, and injury of thousands of Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers. They described him as "one of the architects of the October 7 massacre," referring to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages. Eyewitnesses reported that the strike occurred when three missiles were launched simultaneously from two directions, hitting the Al-Mu'taz building and igniting a large fire. Rescue teams faced significant challenges in evacuating the wounded, with one witness describing the removal of a body and several injured individuals from the site. A second air strike, targeting a car believed to be carrying Haddad after he was injured in the initial attack, killed three people. According to local sources, armed Hamas members in civilian clothing evacuated a severely wounded individual through a side entrance and placed him in a vehicle, which was later struck approximately 1.5 kilometers from the apartment block. Israeli officials stated that preliminary evidence suggested Haddad had been successfully targeted.#israeli_prime_minister_benjamin_netanyahu #hamas #israeli_defence_minister_israel_katz #al_mu_taz #gaza_city
