Following the death of Muhammad Sinwar, the mind of the team’s defense wing, in an earlier attack by Israel earlier this month, Izz al-Din al-Haddad is now viewed as the possible new head of Hamas. According to the Jerusalem Post, Al-Haddad is the most mature chief to leave Hamas ‘ pre-war Gaza command and is expected to assume operational control. Inwar, who had led Hamas since the killings of Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Deif in 2024, was killed on May 13 while conducting a precise attack on the grounds of the German Hospital in Khan Younis. The IDF confirmed that Mahdi Quara and South Khan Younis battalion chief Mahdi Shabana, the chief of the Rafah Brigade, were also killed in the attack. The 30-second attack, which apparently hit a Hamas control center beneath the hospital without injuring the facility, was carried out by more than 50 precision-guided munitions.
Al-Haddad has long been a member of Hamas ‘ Military Council and has led the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza City since 2021. He was appointed the northern Gaza battalion leader by Hamas in November 2023. He is now one of Hamas’s five classic brigade commanders who perished in Gaza, according to The Jerusalem Post. Al-Haddad, who is reputed to have survived six Jewish assassination attempt and has a$ 750, 000 wealth, is known for his mysterious report. He was a key figure in the planning of the Jewish hostage-taking operation on October 7, 2023, and is alleged to be in charge of the organization that is now holding Jewish victims. With the majority of Hamas’s senior figures today gone, al-Haddad is expected to lead both defense conversations and hostage discussions. Israel Katz, the Israeli defense minister, has immediately emailed him and said,” You are next in line.
