According to a report by Al Jazeera English on Saturday May 16, 2026, it has been confirmed by the Palestinian organization Hamas that its top military leader, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, was murdered.
Hamas’s statement is that he was the target of an Israeli strike that also resulted in the deaths of members of his family.
In a statement that was very forceful, Hamas referred to the event as a “treacherous and cowardly assassination.” They also accused Israel of intentionally targeting the leader of the Qassam Brigades, which is the armed wing of Hamas that operates in the Gaza Strip.
Al-Haddad, his wife, and his daughter, along with a number of other Palestinians who the group referred to as civilians, were all slain on Friday evening, according to the group reporting the incident. At the time that this article was being written, it was not possible to independently verify the specifics of the strike.
The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas further contended that the bombing constitutes what it referred to as an additional breach of the ceasefire agreement that was in place in Gaza. It accused Israel of continuing what it referred to as ongoing aggression against civilians in the region.
Israel’s government has not yet provided a comprehensive response to the allegations that have been made.
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