ALBAWABA - Israel said Monday it had targeted a Gaza bombing that killed Mohammed Odeh, who Israeli officials say is the new head of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed branch of Hamas.
“The operation was carried out with our authorization,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement, calling Odeh a prominent Hamas figure who was involved in plotting the October 7, 2023 attacks against Israel.
Israeli media later quoted security officials as saying the operation was successful and that Odeh had been killed in the strike. Hamas and the Qassam Brigades did not immediately confirm his death.
The strike hit the Al-Rimal sector in western Gaza City and local health sources said there were casualties and injuries. Medical sources at Al-Shifa Hospital reported the incident killed many people and wounded more than 20 others.
Civil defense workers in Gaza reported rescue squads continued to examine damaged areas following what they described as heavy Israeli shelling of the neighborhood.
Israeli reports said Odeh recently took charge of the Qassam Brigades after the reported killing of another senior commander earlier this month. Israeli officials accused him of participating in attacks that killed, injured and abducted Israeli citizens and soldiers.
The new assault comes amid Israel’s wider campaign targeting Hamas leadership and military facilities across the Gaza Strip. Israeli officials have emphasized that their operations targeting individuals associated with the October 7 attack will persist, indicating that capturing top Hamas leaders remains a primary objective in the ongoing confrontation.
The attack comes amid ongoing military activity in Gaza and tensions across the region, with Israeli military planning heavily based on the possible fate of Hamas’ top leadership.
