Hamas leader says he’s prepared for ‘war of martyrdom’ if ‘honorable deal’ not offered — NYT

5 July 2025, 2:48 am 5 Edit

Izz al-Din Haddad, commander of Hamas’s Gaza City Brigade, in a video released by Hamas’s military wing, May 2022.

Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the latest commander of Hamas’s military wing, is said to have told counterparts in recent weeks that he will either achieve an “honorable deal” to permanently end the war in Gaza or the conflict will become “a war of liberation or a war of martyrdom,” The New York Times reports, citing an unnamed Mideast intelligence official.

The comment highlights the hardline stance of Hamas’s Gaza leaders, as mediators work to secure a ceasefire in the coming days.

Haddad has spent time with hostages in northern Gaza and is currently believed to be in Gaza City, NYT reports.