FRANCE PERSPECTIVE

Paris, May 16, 2026. The Israeli military and Shin Bet announced Saturday the death of Ezzedine Al-Haddad, commander of Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, killed the previous day in a targeted strike in the Shati district, north of Gaza. Confirmation came simultaneously from both sides: two Hamas officials told AFP that Al-Haddad "was killed in an Israeli strike targeting a residential apartment and a civilian vehicle."

Israel describes the operation as a "significant operational achievement." The Israeli chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Eyal Zamir, stated: "In every conversation I had with released hostages, the name of terrorist Ezzedine Al-Haddad came up repeatedly." The Israeli Defense Ministry presents him as "the highest-ranking military official of Hamas still present in the Gaza Strip" who participated in organizing the October 7, 2023 attack.

According to Israeli authorities, Al-Haddad was one of the "principal architects of the October 7 massacre," in which 1,221 people were killed and 251 others abducted. He allegedly "managed the hostage detention system" and "surrounded himself with hostages to try to avoid his elimination," according to the Israeli military. Israel also attributes to him violations of the ceasefire entered into effect October 10, 2025, by "rebuilding military capabilities" of the movement and "planning attacks."

The human toll from the strike is documented by multiple sources: Gaza's health ministry and the Red Crescent report 7 dead and nearly 50 wounded. Gaza's civil defense notes that a residential building was bombed. Israeli television aired images of the building on fire. AFP photographers meanwhile captured the funeral procession: Al-Haddad's body, wrapped in a Hamas flag, carried on a stretcher from the rubble to a mosque for prayers.

Al-Haddad's death is part of a campaign conducted by Israel since October 7, 2023, targeting Hamas political leaders and military commanders in Gaza and the region. Israel has claimed the elimination of Yahya Sinwar, regarded as the principal architect of the October 7 attacks, as well as Mohammed Deif, former commander of the armed wing. French media notes that Al-Haddad is described by Israel as "the last high-ranking Hamas leader still present in the Gaza Strip" who participated in organizing the massacre.