From the Liveblog of
Friday, May 15, 2026
Israel says it targeted Hamas’s Gaza leader Izz al-Din Haddad in Gaza City, despite ceasefire
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The Israeli Air Force just targeted Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Izz al-Din Haddad, in an airstrike in Gaza City, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz say.
The strike hit a residential building in Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood, according to Palestinian media.
It is not immediately clear if Haddad was killed in what would appear to be a ceasefire violation by Israel. Israel has justified such strikes before by claiming that those targeted posed active threats to troops.
Breaking | Israeli aircraft bombard a residential building in Al-Rimal neighborhood, west of Gaza City. pic.twitter.com/DTkmlSInEY
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 15, 2026
In a joint statement, Netanyahu and Katz say they ordered the killing of Haddad, who commands the terror group’s military wing and is “one of the architects of the October 7 massacre.”
“Haddad was responsible for the murder, kidnapping and harm of thousands of Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers. He held our hostages in brutal captivity, directed terrorist operations against our forces, and refused to implement the agreement led by US President Trump to dismantle Hamas’s weapons and demilitarize the Gaza Strip,” they say.
“The IDF and Shin Bet are fully implementing the government’s policy of not containing threats and preemptively neutralizing our enemies,” the statement continues.
“This is a clear message to all murderers who seek our lives: sooner or later, Israel will reach you,” they add.
The IDF has not yet commented on the strike.
The Times of Israel Community.