In a statement, Al-Qassam described the killing as a “cowardly assassination” and said the operation constituted a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
The movement added that targeting senior resistance leaders would not alter the course of confrontation.
“The assassination of leaders will only reinforce the Resistance’s determination to continue its path of struggle,” the statement said.
Palestinian resistance sources had earlier confirmed al-Haddad’s death following the strike.
Deadly Strike in Al-Rimal
Al-Haddad was killed after zionist forces struck a residential building in the Al-Rimal neighborhood west of Gaza City on Friday.
The attack caused extensive destruction in a densely populated civilian area.
Local reports said at least eight Palestinians were killed and more than 40 wounded in the strike, while rescue crews struggled to recover victims from beneath the rubble.
The bombardment came amid continued zionist attacks across Gaza despite ongoing ceasefire discussions.
Health authorities said zionist attacks over the previous 24 hours killed 13 Palestinians and wounded 57 others.
According to figures released by Gaza’s Health Ministry, the overall death toll in Gaza since October 2023 has reached 72,757, with 172,645 wounded.
The ‘Ghost of Gaza’
Born in Gaza in 1970, al-Haddad joined Hamas during the movement’s early years in the 1980s and later became one of the most prominent military leaders within Al-Qassam.
He became widely known as the ‘Ghost of Gaza’ because of his secrecy and ability to avoid repeated zionist attempts to locate him.
Zionist occupation forces reportedly attempted to assassinate him six times and offered a reward of $750,000 for information leading to his whereabouts.
Al-Haddad succeeded Mohammad al-Sinwar following his assassination in 2025 and later assumed broader leadership responsibilities within the movement.
Zionist media had increasingly described him as one of the regime’s highest-priority targets following the assassinations of senior Hamas leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Marwan Issa.
Family Recalls Years of Sacrifice
As funeral processions moved through Gaza City on Saturday, family members described a life shaped by imprisonment, resistance activity, and repeated personal loss.
Speaking to Al-Jazeera Mubasher, his sister Mahitab al-Haddad said the family received news of his death “with patience and acceptance.”
She said al-Haddad had spent years moving between Israeli prisons and detention by the Palestinian Authority before continuing his role within Al-Qassam.
Mahitab said he had suffered repeated losses during the war, including sons and relatives, yet remained steadfast.
“He remained patient and encouraged others to remain patient,” she said.
Family members also described him as a figure known among Gaza residents for assisting people and remaining committed to family responsibilities despite years of war and pursuit.
Aya al-Haddad, his brother’s wife, described his martyrdom as “an honor for the family,” saying he remained close to relatives and continued helping those around him despite the war.
Funeral Crowds Fill Gaza Streets
Thousands of Palestinians took part in funeral processions across Gaza on Saturday. Crowds chanted slogans supporting Palestinian resistance while carrying al-Haddad’s body through the streets.
Al-Haddad’s killing comes as zionist continues its campaign in Gaza and amid ongoing efforts to secure a broader ceasefire agreement.
Al-Qassam reiterated that assassinations and continued military escalation would not alter its position.
“The path of resistance will continue,” the movement said.
Hamas Releases Statement
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah. Some of them have fulfilled their vow by sacrificing their lives, and others still await, and they have not altered their determination by any means.”
With all feelings of pride and honor, and with hearts filled with pain mixed with faith, submission, patience, and steadfastness, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) mourns to our Palestinian people, our Arab and Islamic nation, and the free people of the world, the great commander and fighter martyr:
Who ascended to his Lord as a martyr on the evening of Friday, 15/05/2026, as a result of a treacherous and cowardly “israeli” assassination crime. It targeted him along with members of his family and a number of safe civilians in the Gaza Strip, which led to his martyrdom along with his wife, Umm Suhaib, his daughter Nour, and a number of innocent citizens, after a path of struggle filled with giving, sacrifice, preparation, and ribat. During this path, he remained steadfast in the fields of confrontation, advancing and never retreating, defending his people, his land, and his sanctities until the last moments.
The martyr commander Abu Suhaib represented an exceptional model of the steadfast, fighting commander who spent his life in the fields of resistance, preparation, and confronting the occupation. He was one of the pillars of the resistance project in the Gaza Strip, a beacon for the fighters, and an impenetrable dam in the face of attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause and break the will of our people. His wise leadership, field directives, and management of the battle of confrontation with the occupation, especially during the Al-Aqsa Flood battle, were a source of inspiration for the heroes of Al-Qassam, and a severe force against the enemy and its army.
The martyr commander Abu Suhaib ascended, after having offered during the Al-Aqsa Flood battle his own beloved children, the fighters Suhaib and Mumin, and his son-in-law, the fighter Mahmoud Abu Hasira, as martyrs on the path of Al-Quds and liberation, to join them as a steadfast, patient, and reckoning martyr, in a scene that embodies the greatness of the sacrifices offered by the resistance leaders and their families for the sake of Palestine and its sanctities.
The crime of assassinating the martyr commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad, and what the occupation continues to commit of crimes against our people in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire agreement came into effect, confirms once again the criminal and fascist nature of this terrorist entity, its disregard for all international laws and charters, and its failed attempts to impose political and field realities it failed to achieve by force, through the policy of killing, terrorism, pressure on the resistance leadership, influencing its political positions, and breaking the will, steadfastness, and tenacity of our people on their land.
The movement confirms that this crime, with all its dimensions and timing, places the international community, and the intermediary and guarantor countries of the agreement in particular, before their political, legal, humanitarian, and moral responsibilities to act immediately and seriously to compel the occupation government to fully adhere to the terms of the agreement and stop its ongoing crimes and aggression against innocent civilians. Furthermore, the continued international silence and failure to exert real pressure on the war criminal Netanyahu, the Hitler of the era who is wanted for international justice, have encouraged the occupation to continue its bloody approach and its ongoing aggression against our people.
The movement also calls on our Palestinian people for more cohesion, unity, and steadfastness, and to thwart all the occupation’s plans aimed at undermining the unity of our people and their resistance. It confirms that our people, who have offered these blessed convoys of martyr leaders, are capable, by the permission of Allah, of continuing the path of liberation until the occupation is expelled and our full national rights are wrested.
The martyr commander Abu Suhaib concluded his blessed journey with martyrdom, to remain a symbol of giving, steadfastness, and loyalty to Palestine, Al-Quds, Al-Aqsa, and the prisoners, and for his biography to remain a school for generations in sacrifice and adherence to rights and constants.
May Allah the Almighty have mercy on the great commander and fighter martyr Izz al-Din al-Haddad, Abu Suhaib, forgive him, grant him the highest Paradise with the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, and excellent are those as companions.
And it is a jihad of victory or martyrdom.
Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)
Friday, 15/05/2026
Corresponding to: 28 Dhu al-Qi’dah 1447 AH
Resistance Factions Commented on the Assassination
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine described Izz al-Din al-Haddad as the “General Commander” of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, praising him as a central figure in coordinating joint resistance efforts and rebuilding resistance leadership structures during the war. They highlighted his role in directing battlefield operations during the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation and noted that the zionist entity had failed for years to target the “Ghost of al-Qassam.”
Fatah al-Intifada referred to al-Haddad as the commander of the military general staff of the al-Qassam Brigades and emphasized his courage in confronting the zionist military operations and the war in Gaza. They emphasized that the blood of fallen leaders would inspire future generations.
The Palestinian Mujahideen Movement and the Mujahideen Brigades emphasized al-Haddad’s long history of armed struggle, framing his death within a religious narrative of sacrifice and martyrdom. They stressed that assassinations after more than a year of war would not defeat the resistance, describing fallen leaders as guiding symbols for the continued struggle.
The National Resistance Brigades (Omar al-Qasim Forces) stated that al-Haddad was martyred alongside his wife, daughter, and other civilians in central Gaza. The statement explicitly described the assassination as a violation of the ceasefire agreement and emphasized national goals, including freedom, the right of return, and independence.
The joint statement by the Palestinian resistance factions emphasized unity among the groups and described al-Haddad’s martyrdom as proof that assassinations cannot defeat the resistance. The factions stressed that every fallen commander strengthens the movement, reaffirmed their commitment to armed struggle, and vowed to continue fighting for the liberation of Palestine, including Al-Quds and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad exalted the martyr Izz al-Din al-Haddad, and condemned the entity’s actions as a violation of the ceasefire and said the assassinations of resistance leaders would only strengthen Palestinian resolve and resistance.