On Wednesday, a large group of Palestinians carried the body of the chief of Hamas’s military wing through the streets of Gaza City during a funeral procession, following his death at the hands of Israel just one day prior, as the country continues its effort to dismantle the militant group’s leadership despite an ongoing ceasefire.
The Israeli defense forces reported that Mohammad Odeh was killed in a deliberate strike on Tuesday night, occurring shortly after the death of his predecessor, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who was killed in an Israeli attack on a Gaza apartment building just over a week earlier.
According to Odeh’s family, the Israeli airstrike also resulted in the deaths of his wife and son. Mourners transported the three bodies, wrapped in white shrouds, past structures that had been devastated during Israel’s prolonged military campaign in Gaza.
Since the ceasefire was established, approximately 900 Palestinians have lost their lives due to Israeli airstrikes, as reported by health officials in Gaza, without a distinction made between fighters and non-combatants.
Israel says one of its strikes in Gaza City killed Mohammed Odeh, the new commander of Hamas’s military wing on Tuesday. Odeh’s predecessor died in a similar attack just days before.
The Israeli government stated that its actions following the ceasefire are intended to thwart potential attacks and prevent individuals from approaching the ceasefire line with Hamas.
Khalil Odeh, Mohammad’s brother, expressed to CBC News, “There is no ceasefire; this is just empty rhetoric, and no peace exists with the occupation.”
He further emphasized, “With every martyrdom, we will remain resolute; our determination is unwavering.”
Rescue workers search through debris
According to Gaza health officials, a total of six individuals were killed, and over 20 others sustained injuries in the Israeli strike that targeted an upper level of an apartment building in the Rimal district of Gaza City.
On Wednesday, rescue teams sifted through the debris in search of any additional victims.
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Israeli forces fired shots at Gaza aid flotilla vessels, video shows
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Israel kills Hamas military wing leader in strike on Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated on Tuesday that Odeh had led Hamas’s intelligence unit during the cross-border assault into Israel on October 7, 2023, which initiated the conflict in Gaza. Odeh was appointed to replace Haddad, the group’s chief military commander, who was killed by Israeli forces on May 15, just a week before Odeh’s death.
Insiders within Hamas revealed that Odeh might be one of the last surviving members of the higher leadership council of the armed wing.
An increase in attacks on both sides of the border have put a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in jeopardy.
Since the onset of the conflict, Israel has eliminated numerous Hamas leaders and military figures, pledging to kill or capture anyone it deems responsible for the attacks in October 2023.
Ahmed Odeh, a cousin of the targeted Mohammad Odeh, stated, “Regardless of the pressures we face, we will not be uprooted from our lands.”
He added, “This will not conclude with Abu Amr,” referring to another name by which Mohammed Odeh is known.
He further remarked, “If it had come to an end, it would have concluded with Abu Khaled, Mohammed Al-Sinwar, and Abu Saib,” referencing other prominent Hamas military leaders who have been killed in previous strikes.
In a statement following Odeh’s death, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that Hamas would no longer maintain control, either civilian or military, over Gaza, and that a strategy for what he called “voluntary migration” from the territory would be implemented “at the appropriate time and in the proper manner.”
Gaza health officials reported that six individuals, including at least one woman, were killed, and over 20 others injured in the Israeli strike that demolished an upper floor of an apartment building in the Rimal district of Gaza City. (Mahmoud Isaa/Reuters)
Israel and Hamas remain at an impasse in indirect negotiations concerning the next phase of a ceasefire agreement, which involves the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The ceasefire established in October left Israel in control of more than half of Gaza, while Hamas maintains a small portion of the coastal area.
Just hours before the strike, Israel revealed that it had intensified ground operations in Lebanon, where it has been engaged in combat with Iran-aligned Hezbollah militants since launching attacks on Iran alongside the United States at the end of February. Additionally, Israel is ramping up its military operations in the West Bank.
