An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed a senior Hamas military commander described by Israel as one of the key planners of the October 7, 2023 attacks that triggered the ongoing war, officials said.

The Israeli military said Izz al-Din al-Haddad, head of Hamas’ armed wing, was killed in a strike on Friday. Hamas also confirmed his death, with spokesperson Hazem Qassem acknowledging the development on social media.

According to Israel, al-Haddad was among the top commanders involved in planning and executing the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel that left about 1,200 people dead and saw more than 250 taken hostage.

Israel said he assumed leadership of the group’s military wing after the killing of his predecessor Mohammed Sinwar and accused him of using Israeli hostages as human shields during the conflict.

Al-Haddad’s family members said He was killed along with six others, including his wife and daughter, in the strike. His two sons had been killed earlier in the war. He was buried in Gaza City on Saturday.

The Israeli army chief described the killing as a major operational success and said operations against Hamas leaders would continue.

Meanwhile, the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains under strain, with both sides accusing each other of violations. Gaza has witnessed near-daily Israeli attacks since the truce began in October, with more than 850 people killed during this period, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The ministry also said that over 72,700 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, amid widespread devastation across the enclave.

Elsewhere, tensions also escalated in the occupied West Bank, where a Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli forces in the Jenin refugee camp on Saturday, according to Palestinian health officials.