Footage: The elimination of Mohammed Odeh
The IDF confirmed on Wednesday that the new leader of Hamas's military wing in Gaza, Mohammed Odeh, was eliminated ten days after his predecessor, Izz ad-Din Haddad.
Earlier in the morning, Hamas also confirmed the elimination.
As part of the joint IDF and ISA operation to eliminate Odeh, terror infrastructure sites in the heart of Gaza City that Odeh used to hide out were struck. This followed months of intelligence monitoring aimed at tracking the movements of Odeh and his operatives. Simultaneously, a nearby apartment belonging to a Hamas terrorist who infiltrated Israel on October 7th, and was part of Odeh’s circle of operatives, was struck.
The IDF noted that before the strikes, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance.
Israel's Defense Minister, Israel Katz, commended the elimination, stating, "The 4th commander of Hamas’s military wing in Gaza was eliminated yesterday and sent to meet his partners in the depths of hell. On behalf of the Prime Minister and myself, congratulations to the IDF and the Shin Bet for the brilliant operation."
Katz added: "We pledged to eliminate everyone who led the October 7 massacre, and that is what we will do: all of them are marked for death wherever they are. We pledged that Hamas would not rule Gaza, either civilly or militarily, and so it shall be. The voluntary emigration plan from Gaza will also be implemented, everything at the proper time and in the proper manner."
During the war, Odeh served as the head of Hamas's intelligence headquarters and a member of the organization's supreme military council.
He was considered one of the architects of the October 7th Massacre. In recent months, he served as the deputy leader of the military wing in Gaza, until his superior was eliminated, at which point he took his place.
Odeh is one of the last senior commanders in Hamas’ military wing who took part in the planning and execution of the October 7th massacre and the management of combat operations against IDF troops. His elimination constitutes a significant blow to the Hamas terrorist organization’s rehabilitation efforts.
According to Gazan reports, Odeh's wife, two sons, and daughter were also killed in the strike.