The new military chief of Hamas, Mohammed Odeh, was killed in an Israeli strike in northern Gaza overnight, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet intelligence agency confirmed on Wednesday morning.

According to the military, several buildings in Gaza that Odeh had used as hideouts were targeted after months of surveillance of his movements and those of his associates. A nearby apartment belonging to another Hamas member involved in the October 7 attack was also struck.

Odeh had assumed leadership of Hamas’ military wing last week following the assassination of Iz al-Din Haddad. He had previously served as the organization’s intelligence chief.

The IDF stated that Odeh played a central role in planning and coordinating the October 7 Hamas attack and later directed attacks and intelligence operations against Israeli forces throughout the war. Israeli security officials described him as one of the last senior Hamas military commanders involved in organizing the October 7 massacre, saying his death represents a “significant blow” to the group’s efforts to rebuild.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also confirmed Odeh’s killing, adding that Israel remains committed to its goal of promoting what it describes as the “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

“The fourth commander of Hamas’ military wing in Gaza was eliminated yesterday and has joined his comrades in the depths of hell,” Katz wrote in a post on X.

Katz praised the IDF and Shin Bet for their “outstanding execution,” adding: “We pledged to eliminate all those who led the October 7 massacre, and that is exactly what we will do. All are marked for death, everywhere.”

He also reiterated Israel’s objectives of removing Hamas from power in Gaza and advancing the “voluntary migration” plan for the territory, concluding: “Everything at the right time and in the right way.”