Israel targets Hamas’s new military chief, say Netanyahu and Katz, 11 days after killing his predecessor

Israel carried out a strike this evening on Hamas’s new military chief Mohammed Odeh, say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz in a joint statement.

Reports from Gaza a short while ago said a residential building in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City was struck. There are initial reports that two people were killed and 10 wounded.

مدينة غزة هذه اللحظات.. الاحتلال استهدف عمارة سكنية بحي الرمال غرب مدينة غزة.

هذا الشارع يشهد ليلة العيد، ومنذ عدة ليالي ازدحاما كبيرا بالناس، كونها منطقة تجارية.. حتى اللحظة نقل شهداء ومصابين pic.twitter.com/wo9DLENSfA

— Mohammed Haniya (@mohammedhaniya) May 26, 2026

According to the joint statement, Odeh was head of Hamas intelligence during the October 7, 2023, attacks, and last week was appointed to succeed Izz al-Din al-Haddad as the terror group’s leader in the Gaza Strip and chief of its military wing.

Al-Haddad was killed in an IDF strike in Gaza City on May 15.

“Odeh was responsible for the murder, abduction and injury of many Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers,” say Netanyahu and Katz.

According to the Saudi A-Sharq Al-Awsat outlet, Odeh was close to al-Haddad and worked with him to “renew the organizational structure” of Hamas following the assassination of its former leaders Muhammad Deif and Muhammad Sinwar during the ensuing war.

Citing a source familiar with the details, the report said Odeh was initially approached to lead the al-Qassam Brigades following Sinwar’s assassination in May 2025, but declined. However, the two other sources said they could not confirm that it was the case.

“We will continue to pursue everyone who took part in the October 7 massacre,” say Netanyahu and Katz. “Sooner or later, Israel will reach them all.”