Strike Details
Israel's military announced Saturday that it killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the head of Hamas' military wing, in an air strike on Gaza. The strike occurred Friday. A senior Hamas official confirmed Haddad's death. Haddad was born in 1970.
Haddad's wife and daughter were also killed in the attack, according to a Hamas source. The Israeli military stated the air strike was carried out Friday. Hamas Gaza spokesperson Hazem Qassem later published a video statement on Facebook.
Hamas Leader's Role
Haddad was one of the last surviving architects of the October 7, 2023, attacks that triggered the war in Gaza. Israel stated that Haddad was a top strategist who helped carry out the October 7 attack. Haddad took over the group’s military wing in Gaza last year.
Ceasefire Context
Haddad is the most senior Hamas official killed by Israel since the October ceasefire agreement. The ceasefire was meant to halt fighting.
Rising Drone Warfare
Hezbollah has increased its use of small first-person view (FPV) drones to attack Israel. BBC Verify geolocated 35 videos shared by the Lebanese armed group since March 26, which show strikes on Israeli soldiers, armored vehicles, and air defense systems in southern Lebanon and northern Israel. Experts told BBC Verify the Israel Defense Forces has "so far been unable to develop any effective countermeasures" because the small drones can easily bypass detection systems.
One verified video shared on Thursday shows at least four FPV drones attacking an Israeli border outpost near Kiryat Shmona, targeting a series of military vehicles in sequence. At least two of them can be seen heavily damaged or destroyed in the clips. Many of these drones are flown using fibre optic cable connections, making them difficult to intercept with current Israeli electronic counter-measures.
US-Nigeria Joint Operation
President Trump announced Friday evening that U.S. and Nigerian military forces had killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, a leader of the Islamic State group. The operation took place at al-Minuki's compound on Lake Chad Basin, the Nigerian president's office said. Nigeria's defense department described it as a "meticulously planned and highly coordinated counterterrorism operation."
Trump described al-Minuki as the Islamic State's second-in-command globally and "the most active terrorist in the world." The Nigerian president's office also confirmed the operation, and said that "early assessments confirm the elimination" of al-Minuki and "several of his lieutenants." The Nigerian military said the operation began shortly after midnight on Saturday, after months of intelligence gathering and reconnaissance. Al-Minuki was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by Washington in 2023.
The U.S. State Department described al-Minuki in 2023 as a leader of the Islamic State in Africa's Sahel region.
Casualties in Lebanon
An Israeli air strike on a town in southern Lebanon killed six people, including three paramedics, according to Lebanon's health ministry. A fourth paramedic sustained "critical injuries" after a civil defence centre was attacked in the town of Harouf. The Israeli military said it had "identified" and "eliminated" two "Hezbollah terrorists", adding "steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harm to civilians".
The U.S. State Department announced Israel and Lebanon had agreed to extend their shaky ceasefire after two days of negotiations in Washington DC. State department spokesman Tommy Pigott said they hope the discussions will advance lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establishing genuine security along their shared border.
The State Department said it would "reconvene the political track of negotiations" in June.
The killing of Haddad raises concerns about the stability of the ceasefire and the potential for increased violence in the region, affecting the lives and safety of civilians in Gaza and beyond.
