Desk : The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have confirmed the killing of Muhammad Odeh, who was identified as the new head of Hamas’s military wing in Gaza and a key planner of the October 7 attacks on Israel.
According to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, the operation was carried out under the directives of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, as reported in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Odeh had reportedly been serving as the head of Hamas’s intelligence apparatus during the October 7, 2023, attacks and was recently appointed to replace Ezzedine al-Haddad, who was killed in an earlier Israeli strike in Gaza.
Israeli authorities stated that Odeh was involved in planning acts of murder, abduction, and attacks against both Israeli civilians and soldiers. Prime Minister Netanyahu also confirmed the operation, stating, “We have now struck Muhammad Odeh, the leader of Hamas’s military wing and one of the architects of the October 7 massacre. We will get to all of them,” in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Israel has intensified its military operations across the region. Air strikes continued in southern Lebanon, with multiple areas reportedly targeted. According to Al Jazeera, strikes hit locations including Burj Rahal, Kawthariyat al-Ruz in the Tyre district, Srifa, as-Sawana, and Qabrikha in the Marjayoun district.
Al Jazeera Arabic reported that Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon resulted in 31 deaths and around 40 injuries on Tuesday. The escalation follows recent instructions from Prime Minister Netanyahu to “press the pedal even harder” against Hezbollah, after reports of increased drone attacks by the Iran-backed group.
In a recent video statement, Netanyahu said, “We are at war with Hezbollah. In recent weeks, our brave fighters have eliminated more than 600 terrorists. But we are not taking our foot off the gas. On the contrary, I have instructed them to press the pedal even harder.”
The situation reflects a sharp escalation in regional hostilities involving Israel, Hamas in Gaza, and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.