Boston Herald, May 2026
Over the past two weeks, Israel’s military has killed the leader of Hamas’ military wing and his replacement — the latest in a string of such killings that have weakened the group without having much impact on the ongoing conflict. Mohammed Odeh and Izz al-Din al-Haddad were among the architects of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, nearly all of whom have been killed in more than two years of war that has devastated Gaza. A fragile ceasefire took effect in October, but Hamas still controls nearly half the territory and has brushed off demands to disarm. Israel is still regularly striking what it says are combatant targets, often killing civilians, and seizing more territory.
Experts, citing Israel’s long history of taking out top fighters, say targeted killings are unlikely to change that. “The killing of military chiefs such as Odeh and Haddad points to Israel’s operational ability to reach Hamas’ military leadership,” said Nasser Khdour of the nonprofit ACLED, which tracks political violence and conflict worldwide. But “the killing of senior commanders is unlikely, on its own, to push Hamas toward disarmament or make it accept the complete removal of its role in Gaza’s security and governance.”
