Senior security officials say that the elimination of Izz al-Din al-Haddad, head of Hamas’s military wing in the Gaza Strip, on May 15, was highly significant. They describe it as an important tactical intelligence and operational success, but not one that is likely to soften Hamas’s refusal to disarm.
A senior security source said that al-Haddad’s mistake was that he stopped hiding in the tunnel network and resumed operating above ground, believing that he enjoyed immunity from Israeli assassination attempts.
According to security officials, al-Haddad also changed his external appearance several times in an effort to evade Israeli intelligence, but to no avail. Israel’s Shin Bet security service reportedly identified the new identities he had adopted at an early stage.
The Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet monitored him for a prolonged period before the political leadership authorized the operation to eliminate him.
Security officials assess that eliminating al-Haddad, who was considered one of the planners of the October 7, 2023, massacre, is highly important in terms of “closing the circle” and sending a message to Hamas that Israel will pursue everyone involved in planning and carrying out the attack. However, they believe the assassination could actually reinforce Hamas’s refusal to disarm, since the movement is a jihadist organization determined to convey the opposite message, namely that it will not surrender to Israeli pressure and will continue its jihad against the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
The killing of al-Haddad is also not expected to affect the Trump administration’s decision to continue implementing its 20-point peace plan for the Gaza Strip through the “Peace Council” headed by Nikolay Mladenov.
Senior security officials say the operation sends a clear warning to Hamas operatives that the ceasefire in Gaza does not grant them immunity, and that Israel remains determined to dismantle Hamas militarily and remove it from power.
The newspaper Rai al-Youm reported on May 16, citing Egyptian sources, that intensive contacts had begun following the assassination in an effort to prevent the collapse of negotiations concerning Gaza.
A delegation representing the Palestinian factions is expected to return to Cairo next Tuesday for further talks.
On May 16, Hamas-affiliated website Al-Rissalah Net wrote:
Israel’s military and psychological escalation at this stage reflects an attempt to exert pressure and create a new reality, in light of its difficulty in achieving the goals of the war and the continuation of the open confrontation in Gaza. Tel Aviv is using the tool of ‘targeted assassinations’ in an effort to restore its deterrence image, which has eroded in recent months.
While Israeli attacks on the Strip continue, the Palestinian message remains clear: commanders may be killed, but the flag does not fall. The resistance that produced this generation is capable of producing a generation even more determined and more deeply connected to the land and the cause.
Who Will Succeed al-Haddad?
Senior security officials estimate that Hamas will move swiftly to appoint a replacement for al-Haddad in order to signal that his elimination will not alter the balance of power in Gaza or impair Hamas’s operations.
It is still unclear who will replace him. Several senior officials of the military wing remain alive, and the successor is expected to be chosen from among them.
Among the leading candidates are:
- Hussein Fayyad, known as “Abu Hamza,” is the commander of the Beit Hanoun Battalion in Hamas’s military wing.
- Mohammed Oudeh, head of Hamas military intelligence and one of the planners of the October 2023 attacks on communities surrounding Gaza. He replaced Ali Ghandour as commander of the Northern Gaza Brigade after Ghandour was killed by the IDF in November 2023.
- Haitham al-Hawajri, commander of the Shati refugee camp battalion. He led operations against Israel on October 7, 2023, and was involved in Hamas activities around Shifa Hospital.
- Mohannad Rajab, commander of the Northern Gaza Brigade, who replaced al-Haddad after the latter was promoted to head Hamas’s military wing in Gaza.
- Tawfiq Abu Na’im, head of Hamas’s security apparatus in Gaza and a senior military wing official. He is considered close to Yahya Sinwar and was released as part of the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal.
- Nafiz Tbeikh, commander of the Daraj-Tuffah sector in northern Gaza. He previously headed Hamas’s military inspection unit and was considered close to Ahmed Jabari, the former Hamas military chief assassinated by Israel.
- Imad Akel, head of Hamas’s home front command structure, is responsible for combat support systems, including logistics, operational infrastructure, weapons preparation, and coordination between field units.
Several commentators in Gaza believe that Mohammed Oudeh is the leading candidate to succeed al-Haddad.
The assassination of al-Haddad comes amid continuing uncertainty within Hamas’s external leadership.
Hamas announced on May 16 that the latest round of elections for the positions of movement leader and head of the political bureau ended without a decisive result, and that another round of voting will therefore take place.
The two leading candidates are Khaled Mashal and Khalil al-Hayya.
