GAZA CITY — Israel said Tuesday it had killed Mohammed Odeh, commander of Hamas’s military wing, in a targeted airstrike in Gaza City, days after the reported killing of his predecessor in a similar operation.
Palestinian medics and witnesses said at least three people were killed and dozens wounded when the strike hit a residential building in one of Gaza City’s busiest market districts ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security service said the operation targeted buildings allegedly used as a hideout by Odeh after “months of intelligence surveillance” tracking his movements and those of his aides.
Hamas had not immediately commented on the claim.
The strike hit the upper floors of the al-Kayali building in central Gaza City, where streets were crowded with shoppers at the time of the attack. Witnesses said multiple missiles struck the building almost simultaneously from different directions.
Israeli authorities said the operation also targeted “a nearby apartment belonging to a Hamas terrorist who raided on October 7 and was part of Odeh’s circle of assistants,” referring to the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.
Emergency crews and ambulances rushed to the scene, though rescuers reportedly struggled to reach the upper floors because of extensive damage and heavy congestion in the area. Video footage showed civil defence teams searching through the rubble as crowds gathered nearby.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office described Odeh as “one of the architects of the October 7 massacre,” accusing him of responsibility for the “murder, abduction, and wounding” of Israeli civilians and soldiers.
The reported killing comes shortly after Israel announced the death of Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, Odeh’s predecessor as commander of Hamas’s armed wing, in another airstrike earlier this month. That strike also hit a residential building and reportedly killed at least three people.
Despite a ceasefire that took effect on October 10, Israel has continued conducting strikes across Gaza. Hamas has accused Israel of repeatedly violating the truce and targeting civilians, while Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says more than 900 people have been killed in Israeli strikes during the ceasefire period.
Israel maintains it retains the right to target Hamas operatives and has accused the group of breaching ceasefire terms by refusing to disarm.
Efforts to advance later stages of a US-backed peace initiative for Gaza have stalled amid continuing regional tensions following the outbreak of war between Israel and Iran in February.
The proposed plan envisions Gaza being governed by a transitional technocratic administration while reconstruction and demilitarisation efforts proceed.
However, negotiations over Hamas disarmament remain at an impasse, with the group reportedly reactivating parts of its internal security apparatus and reasserting control in parts of the enclave.
Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s pledge to pursue those involved in the October 7 attack, saying: “Sooner or later, Israel will reach them all.”
The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
