Key Points
- Israeli strike on Gaza City reportedly killed senior Hamas commander Mohammed Odeh
- Palestinian civilians, including family members, were also reported killed in the attack
- Hamas has not yet officially confirmed the commander’s death
ISLAMABAD: Israel claimed on Wednesday that it had killed Mohammed Odeh, described by Israeli authorities as a senior commander of Hamas’s armed wing, in an airstrike on Gaza City that also reportedly killed several civilians, including members of his family.
The strike targeted a residential apartment building in Gaza City amid Israel’s continuing military offensive on the besieged Palestinian territory in blatant violation of a ceasefire.
In Palestine, thousands of civilians have been killed and critical infrastructure devastated since the war began in October 2023.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said Odeh had recently assumed leadership responsibilities within the al-Qassam Brigades following the deaths of other senior Hamas commanders in earlier Israeli attacks.
According to Palestinian and regional media reports, the airstrike caused extensive destruction in a densely populated neighbourhood and left more than 20 people injured.
Rescue teams and residents were seen searching through the rubble for survivors after the bombardment.
Hamas did not immediately confirm Odeh’s death.
The Palestinian resistance group has previously accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilian areas under the pretext of pursuing militant leaders.
The latest strike comes as Israel intensifies its military campaign across Gaza despite mounting international criticism over the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the enclave.
Aid agencies and rights organisations have repeatedly warned that continued bombardment, mass displacement, and restrictions on humanitarian assistance have pushed Gaza’s population deeper into crisis.
Since the beginning of the conflict, Israeli attacks have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, a large number of them women and children, according to Gaza health authorities.
Entire residential districts, hospitals, schools, and refugee camps have been damaged or destroyed during the offensive.
The war erupted after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led operation inside southern Israel, following decades of occupation, illegal settlement expansion, blockade, and recurring violence in the Palestinian territories.
