The ceasefire came into force, yet strikes have continued
In the long and unresolved struggle between Israel and Hamas, another chapter was written Friday over the skies of Gaza City, where Israeli forces struck and reportedly killed Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, a senior commander of Hamas's armed wing and alleged architect of the October 7 attacks. The operation unfolded against the backdrop of a ceasefire that exists more in name than in practice, as both sides trade accusations of violation while the human toll continues to mount. It is a reminder that formal agreements rarely silence the deeper grievances that animate conflict, and that the distance between a ceasefire and peace can be measured in lives.
- Israel launched a multi-missile strike on a residential building in central Gaza City, targeting one of Hamas's most senior military figures.
- Three simultaneous missiles from two directions ignited a large fire, trapping the wounded inside while rescue workers struggled to reach them.
- A second strike hit a fleeing vehicle 1.5 kilometers away, killing three people — the car believed to be carrying the gravely wounded commander.
- Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied al-Haddad's death, leaving the outcome in a contested silence familiar to this conflict.
- The strike deepens a dispute over ceasefire compliance: Israel asserts its right to target Hamas operatives, while Hamas accuses Israel of systematically breaching the agreement.
- With over 72,744 killed in Gaza since October 2023 and 857 deaths since the ceasefire began, the operation signals that the truce remains a fragile and contested fiction.
Israeli military officials announced Friday that they had killed Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, commander of Hamas's Qassam Brigades, in an air strike on Gaza City — another strike conducted despite a ceasefire agreement that has been in force since October. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Katz identified al-Haddad as one of the principal architects of the October 7, 2023 attack, holding him responsible for the deaths, abductions, and wounding of thousands of Israelis. A senior Israeli security official said preliminary assessments confirmed the target had been eliminated, though Hamas offered no confirmation.
Witnesses described a dramatic sequence: three missiles fired simultaneously from two directions struck the Al-Mu'taz residential building in central Gaza City, igniting a large fire. Rescue workers struggled to reach the wounded. Shortly after, a second strike hit a vehicle that had fled roughly 1.5 kilometers away, killing three people. Evidence suggested the car may have been carrying al-Haddad, severely wounded in the initial blast, as witnesses reported armed Hamas members in civilian clothes loading an injured person into the vehicle through a side entrance before it was struck.
The operation sits at the center of an ongoing dispute over ceasefire compliance. Israel maintains it retains the right to strike Hamas operatives and accuses Hamas of failing to disarm under the agreement's terms. Hamas, in turn, accuses Israel of targeting civilians and breaching the accord. Netanyahu and Katz noted that al-Haddad had refused to comply with a U.S.-backed demilitarization plan whose second phase began in January.
The strike is one thread in a conflict of staggering proportions. The October 7 attack killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel and led to 251 hostages being taken. Israel's military campaign has since killed more than 72,744 people in Gaza, with 857 additional deaths recorded since the ceasefire began — figures that underscore how little the formal agreement has restrained the violence, and how far the two sides remain from anything resembling resolution.
Israeli military officials announced on Friday that they had killed Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, a senior Hamas commander, in an air strike on Gaza City. The operation marked another instance of Israel conducting military strikes despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect in October.
Al-Haddad led the Qassam Brigades, Hamas's armed wing. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yisrael Katz released a joint statement identifying him as one of the principal architects of the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, and said he bore responsibility for the deaths, abductions, and wounding of thousands of Israeli civilians and soldiers. A senior Israeli security official said preliminary assessments indicated the strike had succeeded in eliminating its target, though Hamas neither confirmed nor denied his death.
Three people who witnessed the strike described the sequence of events to the BBC. Three missiles fired simultaneously from two different directions struck a residential building called Al-Mu'taz in central Gaza City, igniting a large fire. Rescue workers arrived at the scene but encountered substantial obstacles in removing the wounded. One witness reported seeing a body and several injured people brought out of the building. A second strike then hit a vehicle that had fled the area roughly 1.5 kilometers away, killing three people according to eyewitnesses and a local source. Evidence suggested the car may have been carrying al-Haddad after he sustained serious injuries in the initial bombardment. Witnesses observed armed Hamas members in civilian clothes evacuating a severely wounded person through a side entrance and placing him in the vehicle before it was struck.
The operation occurred within the framework of an ongoing dispute over ceasefire compliance. A ceasefire agreement came into force on October 10, yet Israel has maintained a pattern of strikes across Gaza since then. Hamas has repeatedly charged Israel with violating the terms and targeting civilians. Israel counters that it retains the right to strike Hamas operatives and accuses Hamas of failing to disarm as required by the agreement. Netanyahu and Katz stated that al-Haddad had refused to comply with a demilitarization plan championed by the United States, which began its second phase in January.
The broader context frames this strike within a conflict that has accumulated an enormous toll. The October 7 attack by Hamas killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 72,744 people according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Since the ceasefire began, that ministry reports 857 additional deaths. The strike on al-Haddad and the vehicle represents a continuation of military operations that have persisted throughout what was meant to be a period of reduced hostilities, underscoring the fragility of the agreement and the unresolved tensions between the two sides.
Citações Notáveis
Haddad had been responsible for the murder, kidnapping and injury of thousands of Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers— Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yisrael Katz
We will continue to act forcefully and decisively against anyone who took part in the October 7 massacre— Netanyahu and Katz
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does killing one commander matter enough to announce it publicly?
Because al-Haddad wasn't just any operative—he was a planner of October 7. For Israel, eliminating someone with that symbolic weight sends a message about accountability and reach. It's also a way of saying the ceasefire doesn't mean the war is over.
But there's a ceasefire in place. How does Israel justify striking during it?
Israel argues it has the right to target Hamas members who refuse to disarm. They see the ceasefire as conditional—it holds only if Hamas complies with demilitarization. Hamas says Israel is the one breaking the agreement.
What about the people in that building? Were they all combatants?
That's the question no one can answer cleanly. Three missiles hit a residential building in the middle of Gaza City. Rescue workers had trouble evacuating people. One body came out, several injured. The second strike on the fleeing car killed three more. We don't know who they were.
So this is still happening despite the ceasefire being in place?
Yes. The ceasefire came into effect in October, but Israel has conducted regular strikes since then. This is just the latest. It suggests the agreement is more of a pause than a resolution.
What does Hamas say about al-Haddad being dead?
They haven't confirmed it either way. That silence itself is telling—they're not rushing to claim him as a martyr, but they're not admitting he's gone either.