Mohammed Ouda, the newly appointed head of Hamas’s Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on May 26, making him the latest in a rapid succession of Hamas military commanders eliminated by Israeli forces. He held the position for roughly eight days.
The strike took place in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the operation, citing a “high likelihood” of success. The IDF has since confirmed Ouda’s death.
A revolving door at the top of Hamas’s military wing
Ouda’s predecessor, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, was killed in an IDF strike on May 15. Three days later, on May 18, Ouda was appointed to replace him. Eight days after that, he was dead.
Israel has been systematically targeting Hamas’s senior military leadership for months, a campaign that has already claimed figures like Abu Obaida and, before him, Mohammed Sinwar, who was assassinated in May 2025.
