Mohammad Odeh (far right) seen with other Hamas figures during the planning of Oct. 7.
Hamas appoints new military wing commander: report
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Hamas has appointed Mohammad Odeh as the new commander of its military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, according to sources within the organization cited by the London-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.
The appointment comes days after the killing of the previous commander, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, in an ‘Israeli’ airstrike.
Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who served as the highest-ranking Hamas military leader in Gaza, was killed on Friday in an ‘Israeli’ strike in Gaza City, along with family members.
Mohammad Odeh previously served as head of military intelligence for the al-Qassam Brigades during the events of October 7 and is a member of Hamas’s Supreme Military Council.
Reports indicate he was close to al-Haddad and collaborated with him on efforts to reorganize Hamas’s structure following the assassinations of earlier leaders, including Muhammad Deif and Muhammad Sinwar.
Odeh had reportedly been offered leadership of the military wing after Sinwar’s death in 2025 but declined at the time.
He is among the few remaining high-level commanders from the pre-war period.
The development occurs against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire brokered in late 2025, which has faced challenges including stalled disarmament discussions and intermittent clashes.
