Confirmed: Hamas’s New Military Wing Leader Killed in Gaza Strike

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

The IDF Spokesperson announced officially this morning (Wednesday) that the Air Force struck a building last night in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City. In the strike, Muhammad Oudeh — the new leader of Hamas’s military wing and one of the architects of the October 7 massacre — was killed.

Oudeh had replaced Izz al-Din Haddad in the role after Haddad was killed in a strike in Gaza City 10 days ago. Hamas confirmed today that Oudeh was killed. According to Hamas, Oudeh’s wife and three of his children were also killed in the strike.

According to a joint IDF and Shin Bet statement, buildings in the heart of Gaza City that were being used as a hideout for Oudeh were struck following months of intelligence surveillance tracking him. At the same time, a nearby apartment belonging to a Hamas terrorist who took part in the October 7 attack and was part of Oudeh’s circle of aides was also struck.

Oudeh was the “second-to-last surviving” member of Hamas’s senior leadership that planned the massacre in the communities surrounding Gaza. Alongside his new appointment as leader of Hamas’s military wing, Oudeh also served as head of the terror organization’s intelligence headquarters and was responsible for planning and coordinating the attack and raid targets of Hamas terrorists in the October 7 massacre.

The IDF and Shin Bet said that “throughout the war, Oudeh was involved in directing numerous attacks and led the effort to gather and analyze intelligence for the purpose of carrying out terror plans. His elimination is a significant blow to Hamas’s attempts to rebuild.” Only one remains now who has not been killed — Imad Akel, head of Hamas’s home front headquarters in Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a statement saying: “Oudeh served as head of Hamas’s intelligence headquarters during the October 7 massacre and was appointed about a week ago as the replacement for Izz al-Din Haddad. Oudeh was responsible for the murder, abduction, and injury of many Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers. We will continue to pursue everyone who took part in the October 7 massacre. Sooner or later, Israel will get them all.”

This morning, Katz said that “the No. 4 commander of the military wing of the Hamas terror organization in Gaza was killed yesterday and sent to meet his partners in the depths of hell. In the name of the prime minister and myself, congratulations to the IDF and the Shin Bet on the brilliant execution. We pledged to eliminate everyone who led the October 7 massacre, and that is what we will do: they are all marked for death everywhere. We pledged that Hamas will not rule Gaza either civilly or militarily, and so it will be, and the plan for voluntary emigration from Gaza will also be implemented — everything at the right time and in the right way.”

Hamas sources told “Asharq Al-Awsat” that the two fighter jets involved in the strike fired at least three missiles at the apartment, and 20 minutes later a combat helicopter struck another apartment, hundreds of meters from the one where Oudeh had been staying. They claimed that in that strike, a field commander in the intelligence apparatus of the al-Qassam Brigades, who had been under Oudeh’s command before he was appointed commander of the military wing, was critically wounded.