Israel killed Mohammed Odeh, the newly appointed head of Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades military wing, in a targeted airstrike in Gaza City on May 26. The strike, which hit a residential building in the Rimal neighborhood, was confirmed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Odeh had held the position for exactly eight days. His predecessor, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, was killed on May 15, meaning Israel has now eliminated two consecutive leaders of Hamas’s military apparatus in less than two weeks.
What happened
The operation involved aerial strikes on a residential building in the Rimal neighborhood, a densely populated area of Gaza City. Odeh and several family members were killed in the attack.
Odeh was appointed to lead the Al-Qassam Brigades on May 18, just three days after al-Haddad’s killing. He was believed to be in his late 40s to early 50s and had previously served as Hamas’s head of military intelligence.
