The outcome of Israel’s dramatic strike in Doha as part of Operation Summit of Fire remains unclear, but if it proves successful and indeed eliminated Hamas’ overseas leadership, it would mark an especially severe blow to the terrorist group. It would come on top of a series of assassinations of senior Hamas figures over the past two years, since the group launched its current war against Israel with the October 7 massacre.
Even so, several senior targets remain in the Gaza Strip, chief among them Izz al-Din al-Haddad, a 55-year-old veteran commander considered one of the last senior figures of the organization’s founding generation still alive in Gaza—if not the very last. Haddad was formerly commander of northern Gaza for Hamas’ military wing, but after the killing of Mohammed Sinwar in May he has been regarded as his successor at the helm of Hamas’ armed forces.
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zz ad-Din Haddad - one of the last of the 'founding generation' of Hamas remaining in the Strip;
Until Sinwar’s death, Israeli security officials saw a distinction between him and Haddad: while Sinwar—the brother of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, killed in October last year—took an uncompromisingly hardline stance against any partial or full deal under Israel’s terms, the military assessed Haddad as somewhat more pragmatic. He was seen as more attentive to the suffering of Gaza’s population during the prolonged war and more willing to consider compromise.
That does not necessarily predict his current posture, especially after Israel’s attempt to decapitate Hamas’ leadership abroad, which could leave Haddad isolated at the top. Still, if the Doha strike was indeed successful, it might open a window of optimism for a potential deal.
See the building Israel attacked in Doha
(Video: Reuters)
Ahead of its operation to capture Gaza City, the Israeli military has assessed that, under Haddad’s leadership, Hamas has improved its command-and-control capabilities in the city and spearheaded the rebuilding of its tunnel network in the west. He has served as the central point of contact for field commanders and units across the organization, maintaining the movement’s morale and adjusting its operational tactics during the fighting.
An Israeli attempt to eliminate Haddad—one of the last surviving senior leaders from Hamas’ founding generation—could prove to be a double-edged sword for efforts to advance a deal. The collapse of Hamas’ remaining command-and-control structure in his absence could leave Israel without a single address in Gaza, potentially forcing it to locate and negotiate separately with the various cells holding hostages.