Israel has eliminated Hamas’s newly appointed Gaza-based chief, Mohammed Odeh, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Wednesday morning. The IDF strike came just eleven days after the killing of his successor, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, in a similar operation.
Odeh, besides heading Hamas’s terrorist operations in Gaza, was among the planners of the October 7 massacre. The IDF, in a statement, described him as “among the last remaining senior Hamas military commanders involved in the planning and execution of the October 7th massacre.”
The killing of Hamas’s so-called military chief within days of his appointment is a significant intelligence success for the Israeli security services. The strike “followed months of intelligence monitoring and operational tracking,” the IDF disclosed.
The slain terrorist was hiding in a busy neighbourhood, counting on potential civilian casualties to deter Israel. According to Israel’s i24NEWS TV channel, “Odeh was hiding in an apartment building above a crowded market in one of the busiest parts of the neighborhood, where residents were shopping ahead of Eid al-Adha.
The IDF appears to have taken him out in a high-precision strike. As Reuters observed, the Israeli strike “destroyed an upper floor of an apartment building in the Rimal neighbourhood in Gaza City.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a press release, noted that “Odeh served as the head of Hamas’s intelligence staff during the October 7 massacre” and was “responsible for the murder, abduction, and wounding of many Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers.”
He vowed to “pursue anyone who took part in the October 7 massacre,” adding that “Israel will reach them all.”
Even before taking over as Hamas’s Gaza chief, Odeh has been planning and conducting terror attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians, the IDF revealed:
For years, Odeh served as the head of Hamas’ intelligence headquarters. In this role, he was responsible for planning and coordinating Hamas terrorist infiltration and attack targets during the October 7th massacre in southern Israel.During the war, Odeh served as Head of Hamas’ intelligence headquarters, where he continued directing intelligence-gathering and operational planning for terror attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians.Hamas’ intelligence headquarters, under Odeh’s command, played a central role in supporting Hamas terrorist operations throughout Gaza.
Sources linked to the Gaza-based terrorist group also confirmed his elimination. “According to Hamas-affiliated media, Odeh was killed” in an Israeli strike, the i24NEWS added.
The Israeli decapitation strike comes as the IDF intensifies its operations against the Iranian proxy terrorist group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and other Palestinian-Jihadist groups in the West Bank.
“Hours before the attack, Israel announced it had expanded ground operations in Lebanon, where it has been fighting Iran-allied Hezbollah militants since it launched attacks on Iran with the United States at the end of February,” Reuters reported Wednesday morning. “Israel is also intensifying its military activities in the West Bank.”
According to Israeli media reports, the IDF is preparing to carry out ground operations beyond the Yellow ceasefire line, demarcated as part of the 2024 U.S.-brokered truce. The Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday that Israeli troops are set to “invade deeper into Lebanon” and “begin operating beyond Yellow Line.” The IDF operation seeks to drive out Hezbollah from the strategic areas used for conducting drone attacks against the Israeli troops.
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