Israel Kills New Hamas Military Chief 11 Days After Strike on Predecessor

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that Israel killed Mohammed Odeh in an airstrike the day before. He said Odeh helped plan the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which around 1,200 people were killed and roughly 250 others were taken hostage.

The killing came seven months into a fragile cease-fire, one of a string of Israeli attacks under a campaign to kill or capture anyone involved in the Oct. 7 attack or hostage taking, from rank-and-file members to top leaders, an effort that persists despite the truce.

“We pledged to eliminate everyone who led the October 7th massacre, and so we shall do,” Katz said.

Witnesses said they heard several large explosions in a crowded shopping area in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City after dark Tuesday. The streets were busy with shoppers who had broken their fasts ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. Even after the strikes, Israeli drones stayed in the air patrolling for almost an hour, they said.