Hamas officially confirms the death of Mohammed Awda, commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza
Hamas confirmed on Wednesday the death of Mohammed Awda, commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the movement’s military wing, in an airstrike in Gaza.
In a statement, the movement said Awda was killed along with his wife and two of his children in a strike targeting a building in Gaza City.
The Israeli army had previously announced on Tuesday the killing of Mohammed Awda, commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, in a strike in Gaza.
In a joint statement with Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service, the army said that Mohammed Awda, head of Hamas’s military wing who had been appointed after the killing of Izz al-Din al-Haddad and chief of Hamas intelligence, had been eliminated.
The statement explained that a strike targeted Awda in northern Gaza on Tuesday, resulting in his death.
Details of the operation
The statement revealed that several buildings in the heart of Gaza City, used by Awda as hideouts, were targeted following months of intelligence monitoring aimed at tracking his movements and those of his aides within the organization.
It added that a neighboring apartment belonging to a Hamas operative involved in the October 7, 2023 attack and part of Awda’s inner circle was also targeted simultaneously.
Awda had served as commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades during the past two weeks following the killing of his predecessor, Izz al-Din al-Haddad.
Over recent years, Awda had headed Hamas’s intelligence apparatus. According to the Israeli statement, he was responsible for planning and coordinating the objectives of the October 7, 2023 attack.
No immediate comment was issued by Hamas regarding the Israeli statement.
Who was Awda?
Awda was considered one of the few remaining senior leaders still alive and served as head of intelligence within the military wing.
After the death of northern Gaza brigade commander Ahmed Ghandour, reports indicated that Awda assumed command of the brigade.
Reports over the past two weeks also suggested that he had taken command of Hamas’s military wing in Gaza, although no official announcement had been made by the movement.
According to Israeli assessments, he oversaw military intelligence operations during the October 7, 2023 attack.
Israeli estimates also indicated that he was responsible for gathering and analyzing intelligence related to Israeli army positions around Gaza, in addition to supervising coordination among field units.
According to those assessments, Awda played a key role in developing the military wing’s intelligence system, particularly after Israeli espionage devices were discovered inside the Gaza Strip in 2018, in an operation Hamas described at the time as an “intelligence treasure.”
Awda was a member of the Al-Qassam Brigades’ military council, Hamas’s armed wing.
Reports also indicate that he assumed responsibility for the Brigades’ operations and weapons manufacturing after the death of Raad Saad in December 2025.
Although primarily focused on security and intelligence work, Awda gradually advanced through field leadership positions, first commanding the central Jabalia battalion and later the northern brigade between 2017 and 2019, before returning to oversee military intelligence.
Awda came from the Al-Khulafa Al-Rashidin area in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza and joined Hamas during the First Intifada in 1987.
He joined the Al-Qassam Brigades in 2000 and was among the earliest participants in their activities during the Second Intifada.
He maintained ties with several Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, Nizar Rayan, and Mohammed Deif.
During the Gaza war, he was close to Izz al-Din al-Haddad and remained in constant contact with him. Together, they developed plans to restructure the military leadership after the deaths of Mohammed Deif and Mohammed Sinwar.
According to reports, after Mohammed Sinwar was killed in May 2025, Awda was offered leadership of the Al-Qassam Brigades, but he declined at the time.
In October 2025, reports stated that he replaced Ahmed Ghandour, who had been killed in 2023, as commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades in northern Gaza. In December, he subsequently took charge of the movement’s operations and weapons production branches.
