A Hamas official has confirmed to the BBC that Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, commander of the group's armed wing, was killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on Friday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that Haddad had been 'responsible for the murder, kidnapping and injury of thousands of Israeli civilians and IDF [Israel Defense Forces] soldiers'. They described him as 'one of the architects of the October 7 massacre'. The strike is the latest launched by Israel on Gaza despite a ceasefire with Hamas. Eyewitnesses reported that a residential building known as Al-Mu'taz was struck by three missiles, followed by a second strike targeting a fleeing car. The air strike resulted in a significant fire, complicating rescue efforts. One eyewitness mentioned the removal of a body and several injured individuals from the building. According to local sources, the vehicle hit in the second strike may have been carrying Haddad after he was injured in the first. A senior Israeli security official confirmed that preliminary information indicated that Haddad was successfully targeted. Since the ceasefire began, Israel has conducted regular strikes, citing the need to target Hamas members. The ongoing conflict, sparked by the October 7 attack by Hamas, has led to numerous casualties on both sides, with over 72,000 reported dead in Gaza. The fragile ceasefire remains under scrutiny as accusations of violations continue from both parties.