Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is close to completing a key war aim in Gaza: eliminating those he describes as the “architects” or planners of the Oct. 7 attacks. The comments come shortly after Israel’s military announced that Ezzedine Al-Haddad, who is described as a senior Hamas commander and head of the group’s armed wing, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza on Friday.
According to multiple outlets, Netanyahu makes the claim that most of the alleged planners responsible for organizing Oct. 7 have been killed, framing it as nearing the end of a major objective tied to the attack. The reports also note that Netanyahu had previously said Israel would target and eliminate the masterminds behind Oct. 7 in the aftermath of the assault.
The outlets repeat Israel’s position that the killing of Al-Haddad represents progress toward removing Hamas leadership and the individuals linked to planning Oct. 7. The reports do not provide independent verification beyond Israel’s statements.
