Israel Targets Hamas Gaza Chief al-Haddad, Killing at Least 7 in Cease-Fire Breach
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 15
Israel Targets Hamas Gaza Chief al-Haddad, Killing at Least 7 in Cease-Fire Breach
16 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 15
Israeli officials said Friday they targeted Izz al-Din al-Haddad—the de facto Hamas leader in Gaza and head of its military wing—in an airstrike on a Gaza City building, and analysts believe he was likely inside.
Two Israeli defense officials said the air force also struck around the structure to block any escape, making it the highest-level Hamas assassination attempt since the October 2025 cease-fire began.
Casualty counts remained disputed by Friday evening: al-Shifa hospital director Mohammed Abu Salmiya said at least seven people were killed and 10 wounded, while Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basl said five were killed.
Israel called al-Haddad an architect of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack and said he had refused to implement a Trump-brokered plan to disarm Hamas and demilitarize Gaza.
The strike adds to accusations from experts and a Trump peace-board official that Israel has repeatedly violated the cease-fire with near-daily airstrikes, territorial moves beyond truce lines and restrictions on aid and rubble-removal equipment.
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The May 15, 2026 Gaza Airstrike: Killing Hamas’s “Ghost of al-Qassam” Amid Ceasefire Breakdown and Humanitarian Collapse
Overview
On May 15, 2026, Israeli forces launched an airstrike in Gaza City, reportedly targeting Izz al-Din al-Haddad, a senior Hamas military leader known as the 'Ghost of al-Qassam' for his elusive nature. This strike marked a major escalation in the conflict, coming months after an October 2025 ceasefire. The attack demolished an apartment in the Rimal district, resulting in casualties and highlighting the fragile state of the truce. Al-Haddad’s leadership and the renewed violence underscore the ongoing instability and humanitarian crisis facing Gaza.