Hamas confirmed on Saturday that Izz al-Din al-Haddad, commander-in-chief of its armed wing the al-Qassam Brigades, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday.
Al-Haddad was killed along with his wife and daughter. The announcement was made by Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem in a video posted on a Hamas social media account.
Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli military and the domestic security agency Shin Bet also confirmed in a joint statement that al-Haddad was killed in the Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Friday.
Al-Haddad, known by the nickname "Ghost of al-Qassam," is considered by Israel to be one of its most wanted figures having played a leading role in planning the Oct 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel. He has survived several previous assassination attempts, according to Israeli media.
Gaza health authorities said on Saturday that 13 people were killed and 57 others injured in Israeli strikes over the past 48 hours.
According to the health authorities, a total of 72,757 Palestinians have been killed and 172,645 wounded in the enclave since the Hamas-Israel conflict erupted on Oct 7, 2023.
Among the casualties, 870 Palestinians were killed and 2,543 wounded since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct 10 last year.
Hamas confirms killing of military wing chief in Israeli airstrike
Seven Palestinians were killed and at least 50 others injured on Friday evening in Israeli strikes targeting a residential apartment and a vehicle in Gaza City, according to Palestinian medical sources.
The Israeli military said the strikes targeted Izz al-Din al-Haddad, a senior commander in the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier in a joint statement that the Israeli military struck al-Haddad, claiming that he was one of the planners of the Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023.
Local sources and witnesses said Israeli warplanes fired at least three missiles at an apartment in the Al-Mu'taz building in western Gaza City, setting the apartment on fire.
Ahmed Ashour, a Gaza resident, described the deadly attacks to a China Global Television Network reporter.
"The entire area was engulfed in flames, while shrapnel and debris were scattered everywhere. We pulled out the dead, and there were still children alive, as well as women and elderly people inside the residential building," he said.
Mahmoud Basal, a spokesman for the Palestinian Civil Defense, said the strikes occurred without any prior warning.
"Hundreds of people live in the building, which was directly targeted without any prior warning. Many people were killed and injured in the strikes, and the building also caught fire. Our crews have been trying to contain the blaze, but our capabilities are very limited," said Basal.
According to local medics, emergency teams transferred the bodies of four victims, including a woman and a child, and 44 injured people to the Al-Saraya Field Hospital run by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
"From the very first moment we received the distress call, our medical teams evacuated 12 injuries and a number of dead bodies that were torn into pieces. So far, we are unable to issue a final death toll," said Fares Afanah, director of Emergency and Medical Services in Gaza.
Separately, local sources said Israeli drones struck a vehicle traveling on Al-Wehda Street in central Gaza City, killing three people and injuring six others.
Al-Haddad, known by the nickname "Ghost of al-Qassam," is considered by Israel to be one of its most wanted figures. He has survived several previous assassination attempts, according to Israeli media.
Israel strikes residential apartment in Gaza City, causing heavy casualties
