Hamas struggles to fill leadership ranks as Israel hunts Oct 7 terrorists

Just earlier celebrations for Eid al-Adha, a awesome Muslim holiday, began successful Gaza, an Israeli airstrike deed a building successful Gaza City, sidesplitting Mohammed Odeh, nan recently appointed caput of Hamas’ subject wing, according to Israeli officials and later confirmed by Hamas.

Reports from location media said members of Odeh’s family were besides killed successful nan strike. Two hours later, Gaza’s markets were full.

Fox News Digital reviewed video filmed successful Gaza showing crowded Eid streets, children shopping and families gathering, pinch small visible guidance to nan sidesplitting of nan Hamas commandant Israel described arsenic 1 of nan architects of nan Oct. 7, 2023, attacks connected Israel. 

The opposition underscored what galore Gazans and analysts picture arsenic a increasing disconnect betwixt Hamas leaders and civilians exhausted by astir 3 years of war, which has killed much than 70,000 Palestinians, according to nan Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry — figures that do not separate betwixt civilians and combatants — and displaced astir of Gaza’s population.

ISRAEL ANNOUNCES IT KILLED ONE OF THE ARCHITECTS OF THE OCT. 7 ATTACKS

Palestinians shop astatine a crowded Eid al-Adha marketplace successful Gaza hours aft Israel announced nan sidesplitting of Mohammed Odeh, nan recently appointed caput of Hamas’ subject wing, successful an airstrike successful Gaza. (Jusoor News)

Hadeel Oueis, editor-in-chief of Jusoor News, told Fox News Digital nan assassinations are creating "a clear vacuum" wrong Hamas and weakening coordination betwixt leaders successful Gaza and abroad.

"With nan deaths of its leaders and nan illness of beardown centralized command, Hamas is turning into a smaller militia competing pinch different armed groups operating successful Gaza," Oueis said. "Hamas is now fighting for survival."

In a associated connection issued Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said Odeh, who had replaced elder commandant Izz al-Din al-Haddad only days earlier, was "one of nan architects of nan October 7 massacre."

"Sooner aliases later, Israel will scope each of them," Netanyahu and Katz said.

Palestinian Hamas terrorists guidelines defender successful Rafah successful nan confederate Gaza Strip connected Feb. 22, 2025, during nan handover of hostages held since nan Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught arsenic portion of a ceasefire and hostages-prisoners switch woody pinch Israel. (Hatem Khaled/Reuters)

Inside Gaza, respective residents interviewed by Jusoor News said they no longer viewed nan deaths of Hamas leaders arsenic individual losses.

"Of people we didn’t consciousness thing erstwhile Haddad, Sinwar, aliases others were killed," 1 Gazan activistic and erstwhile governmental captive told Jusoor News successful an on-camera interview, speaking pinch his look blurred for information reasons.

The activistic was referring to Izz al-Din al-Haddad, nan Hamas subject commandant Israel said it killed earlier successful May, and Yahya Sinwar, nan erstwhile Hamas leader and main designer of nan Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, who was killed by Israeli forces successful confederate Gaza successful October 2024.

"Ordinary group are nan ones who paid nan price, not nan leaders who made reckless decisions without thinking," nan activistic said.

"As a result, Gaza coming is almost wholly destroyed," nan activistic said. "There are families who person mislaid everything, while nan remaining leaders overseas and wrong proceed to bet pinch our lives constantly."

GRASSROOTS PUSH FOR FREEDOM GROWS IN GAZA AS HAMAS TIGHTENS ITS DEADLY GRIP

Palestinians shop astatine a crowded Eid al-Adha marketplace successful Gaza hours aft Israel announced nan sidesplitting of Mohammed Odeh, nan recently appointed caput of Hamas’ subject wing, successful an airstrike successful Gaza. (Credit: Jusoor News)

A Gaza-based journalist echoed nan frustration. 

"When we heard astir nan sidesplitting of Izz al-Din Haddad aliases others, we were not affected," nan journalist said. "What is moreover much achy is that nan children of nan leaders unrecorded extracurricular Gaza, successful Turkey and Qatar, driving luxury cars and surviving comfortable lives, while group present person almost gone backmost to nan Stone Age."

Another Gaza journalist and human rights advocator told Jusoor Hamas had harmed Palestinians arsenic overmuch arsenic Israelis. 

"I do not spot nan deaths of nan leaders arsenic losses for nan Palestinians, because we mean group are nan ones who paid nan price," nan advocator said. "Honestly, Hamas did not only wounded nan Israelis — they wounded america arsenic well."

At nan aforesaid time, Israeli analysts be aware that nan repeated assassinations do not needfully mean Hamas is adjacent to collapse.

Michael Milshtein, an master connected nan Palestinian arena, told Fox News Digital that Hamas unquestionably has suffered terrible harm since Oct. 7, 2023, peculiarly pinch nan deaths of seasoned commanders who helped build nan organization’s subject building and doctrine.

ISRAEL, HAMAS CEASE-FIRE DEAL COULD ENABLE REARMING OF GAZA TERRORISTS

Palestinians shop astatine a crowded Eid al-Adha marketplace successful Gaza (Jusoor News)

"Almost cipher remains from nan halfway group that planned and led nan October 7 attack," he said.

But he noted that Odeh himself had been viewed mostly arsenic a second-tier fig earlier nan warfare alternatively than an evident successor to Hamas’ historical subject leadership.

"The group replacing them are acold little experienced, little tin and acold little charismatic," Milshtein said.

Still, he argued, Hamas continues to maintain functioning chains of command and ideological cohesion contempt nan losses.

"People cognize they are apt going to die, and they still compete for these activity positions," he said.

The statement complete Hamas’ early comes arsenic world efforts to style a postwar governmental model for Gaza accelerate.

TRUMP-BACKED BOARD OF PEACE, ISRAEL 'WILL TAKE ACTION' IF HAMAS REMAINS OUT OF COMPLIANCE: NETANYAHU ADVISOR

Hamas militants carried coffins believed to incorporate nan bodies of 4 Israeli hostages during a handover to nan Red Cross successful Khan Yunis, Gaza, connected Feb. 20, 2025. (Eyad Baba/AFP)

Nickolay Mladenov, who was appointed High Representative for Gaza nether nan Board of Peace initiative, published nan halfway elements of a projected 15-point "Roadmap to Complete nan Implementation of President Trump’s Gaza Comprehensive Peace Plan."

The connection includes a phased Hamas disarmament process, internationally supervised information reforms and nan constitution of "one authority, 1 law, 1 weapon" wrong Gaza.

"Gaza cannot retrieve while equipped groups simultaneously run arsenic governing authorities," Mladenov wrote while outlining nan connection connected societal media.

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Displaced Palestinians, including families and children, hold successful statement to person basking meals distributed by charities up of iftar successful Khan Yunis, Gaza. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu)

For galore Gazans exhausted by years of war, displacement and destruction, nan deaths of Hamas leaders now look to transportation little affectional weight than nan dream that nan conflict itself could yet end.

"Gaza cannot stay hostage to nan thought of imperishable warfare while civilians unsocial salary nan full price," 1 activistic said.