Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, confirmed on Wednesday that its military chief, Mohammed Odeh, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza a day earlier. Israel had announced his death on Tuesday.
In a statement identifying Odeh as the “Chief of Staff of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades,” Hamas said he died “on Tuesday evening... in a cowardly assassination operation that resulted in the martyrdom of him, his wife and his children,” as quoted by AFP.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement declaring that the Israeli military had “eliminated” Odeh in Gaza. Israel described him as the new leader of Hamas’s military wing and accused him of being among the planners of the October 7 attack on Israel.
According to the statement, Odeh served as head of Hamas intelligence during the October 7 assault and was appointed around a week ago as successor to Ezzedine Al-Haddad, who Israel said was killed in an earlier strike in Gaza.
Israel has continued targeting senior Hamas leaders and commanders since the October 7, 2023 attack. Among those previously killed were Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and longtime Al-Qassam commander Mohammed Deif, according to Israeli and international reports.
The ongoing conflict has seen repeated Israeli strikes on Gaza, with the military claiming to target militant infrastructure and leaders. Hamas, however, has vowed to continue its resistance. The death of Odeh marks another significant blow to the group's military leadership.
