Serdar Dincel, Mehmet Nuri Ucar and Mahmut Geldi
16 May 2026•Update: 16 May 2026
The commander of the Palestinian group Hamas' military wing, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, was killed in an Israeli strike on Friday evening, according to local sources.
The attack also killed his wife and daughter, the sources added, noting that their funerals were held in Gaza City.
Speaking to reporters, al-Haddad's sister also confirmed his death.
Meanwhile, Hamas also confirmed the death of al-Haddad on Saturday. The group’s spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a recorded statement that the movement mourns “one of the greatest fighters of the Palestinian people, the commander-in-chief of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Izz al-Din al-Haddad (Abu Suhaib), after a long journey of struggle and confrontation against the occupation.”
Al-Haddad “joins the martyred leaders and symbols of the contemporary Palestinian revolution,” he added, stressing that “the movement’s path will continue despite this great loss, driven by hope for victory.”
Earlier, the Israeli army claimed it killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad in a strike on Gaza City.
The development came as the Israeli army continues its daily violations of the truce in the Gaza Strip that took effect in October 2025.
The ceasefire came after Tel Aviv's two-year genocidal war that killed over 72,000 people and wounded more than 172,000 others.