The Israeli military announced on Wednesday that it had killed Mohammed Odeh, the newly appointed leader of Hamas’s armed wing in the Gaza Strip. Odeh was killed in an airstrike targeting several buildings in Gaza City on Tuesday, following months of surveillance, according to a joint statement from the Israeli military and Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence agency.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz had earlier confirmed that Odeh was being targeted. Israeli officials linked Odeh to the planning and execution of the October 7, 2023 attacks, which involved a massacre and hostage takings. Medics in Gaza reported that Odeh and four family members were among six people killed in the airstrikes.

This strike came less than two weeks after Israel killed his predecessor, Izz Al Din Haddad, in an airstrike on May 16. Katz described Haddad as a key figure behind the October 7 attacks. According to Israeli officials, Odeh assumed command of Hamas’s military wing in Gaza shortly after Haddad’s death, although Hamas has not publicly confirmed the leadership change.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been officially in place since October 2025. However, both parties have frequently accused each other of violating the agreement, and tensions remain high amid ongoing military actions and retaliations.