Israel kills Hamas leader al-Haddad
- Israeli forces struck and reportedly killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, identified as a Hamas military chief, in a strike despite an existing ceasefire in Gaza. - Reports said deaths continued to mount and other Israeli attacks hit Gaza City and Khan Younis, with civilian casualties also reported elsewhere. - The pattern shows tactical operations are outpacing political efforts to hold the truce, leaving ceasefire fragile and unstable. (scmp.com) (cnbctv18.com)
1/ Israeli airstrikes killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, a senior Hamas military commander in the group's Rafah Brigade, on Saturday in southern Gaza. The strike happened despite a ceasefire that took effect on January 19, 2025, between Israel and Hamas. 2/ Al-Haddad commanded Hamas forces in Rafah and was responsible for multiple attacks on Israeli troops since the war began in October 2023, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. He was targeted in a precision strike on a vehicle in Khan Younis, with the IDF confirming his death via intelligence. No other casualties were reported in that specific hit. 3/ The IDF justified the operation as a response to "continued Hamas terrorist activity" violating the truce, including attempted attacks on soldiers. Hamas confirmed al-Haddad's death but called the strike a "cowardly assassination" that proves Israel's lack of commitment to the ceasefire. 4/ This wasn't isolated. On the same day, Israeli strikes hit Gaza City, killing 12 Palestinians including 4 children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Another attack in Khan Younis killed 8, with rescuers pulling bodies from rubble. Total deaths since the ceasefire began now exceed 150, per UN tracking. 5/ The ceasefire, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, aimed to end 16 months of fighting that killed over 45,000 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis. It includes phased hostage releases, aid surges, and Israeli troop withdrawals. But both sides have accused each other of violations: Hamas of firing rockets, Israel of airstrikes. 6/ Friday saw 28 Palestinian deaths from Israeli fire in central Gaza, the deadliest day of the truce so far, medics said. Hamas claimed Israel advanced troops into buffer zones, while the IDF said it targeted "terror infrastructure." Civilian toll: over 60% women and children, per OCHA data. 7/ Netanyahu's office said the strikes "degrade Hamas capabilities without undermining the ceasefire framework." Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, in Doha, warned of "escalation" and demanded UN intervention. US envoy Brett McGurk is scheduled for talks in Cairo on Monday to shore up the truce. 8/ Aid flows have increased—1,500 trucks entered Gaza last week vs. 100 pre-war—but shortages persist. Displaced Gazans number 1.9 million. Next flashpoint: Phase 2 of the deal, due May 25, requires full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza if Phase 1 succeeds. Analysts watch for Hamas retaliation.
