JERUSALEM/CAIRO, May 26 - Israeli officials said on Tuesday they had struck Mohammad Odeh, whom they identified as Hamas’ new armed wing chief in Gaza following the death of his predecessor. The statement from the prime minister did not provide additional operational details and did not say whether Odeh had been killed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Odeh had been appointed to the role about a week earlier, after Israel killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the group’s chief armed commander, on May 15. Netanyahu also said Odeh had led Hamas’ intelligence division at the time of the October 7, 2023 cross-border attack into Israel.
Sources described as close to Hamas did not formally confirm Odeh’s elevation to the top armed post but acknowledged he was regarded as a possible successor to al-Haddad. Those sources said he served as the group’s chief of military intelligence and may have been among the last surviving members of the armed wing’s higher leadership council.
The announcement of the strike on Odeh came hours after Israel said it had expanded ground operations in Lebanon. Officials described an intensification of military activities on multiple fronts.
Gaza health authorities reported that the strike destroyed an upper floor of an apartment building in the Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City. They said two people, including a woman, were killed and more than 20 others were wounded. Rescue workers remained at the scene searching for additional possible casualties.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas regarding the reported attack.
Context and reporting limits
The information available at the time of the announcements included statements from Israeli leadership and casualty figures from Gaza health officials, as well as comments from sources close to Hamas who did not formally confirm the appointment. The Israeli statement did not clarify the fate of the individual targeted, and Hamas had not issued a response.
This report is based solely on the statements and accounts released by the parties referenced above and does not extend beyond those accounts.