Israel says strike killed new chief of Hamas armed wing in Gaza

Israel said on Wednesday it had killed the new head of Hamas's armed wing in Gaza, Mohammed Odeh, in a strike the day before, after killing his predecessor in a similar attack earlier this month. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the "commander of the armed wing of the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza was eliminated yesterday and sent to meet his associates in the depths of hell." Hamas hasn't commented yet. "In the Prime Minister's name and in my own, congratulations to the IDF and the Shin Bet on the brilliant execution," Katz said. "We committed ourselves to eliminating everyone who led the October 7 massacre, and that is what we will do: They are all marked for death, wherever they may be." Emergency teams arrived at the scene of an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Gaza City on May 26, 2026 that Israel said killed the new head of Hamas's armed wing in Gaza, Mohammed Odeh. Ahmad Hasaballah / Katz and Netanyahu said in the joint statement that Odeh had "served as head of Hamas intelligence during the October 7 massacre and was appointed approximately one week ago as successor to Ezzedine al-Haddad." Haddad was killed by an Israeli strike on May 15 . The Israel Defense Forces said at the time that Haddad helped plan the Oct. …