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

Just before celebrations for Eid al-Adha, a major Muslim holiday, began in Gaza, an Israeli airstrike hit a building in Gaza City, killing Mohammed Odeh, the newly appointed head of Hamas’ military wing, according to Israeli officials and later confirmed by Hamas.

Reports from regional media said members of Odeh’s family were also killed in the strike. Two hours later, Gaza’s markets were full.

Fox News Digital reviewed video filmed in Gaza showing crowded Eid streets, children shopping and families gathering, with little visible reaction to the killing of the Hamas commander Israel described as one of the architects of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. 

The contrast underscored what many Gazans and analysts describe as a growing disconnect between Hamas leaders and civilians exhausted by nearly three years of war, which has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry — figures that do not distinguish between civilians and combatants — and displaced most of Gaza’s population.

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

"With the deaths of its leaders and the collapse of strong centralized command, Hamas is turning into a smaller militia competing with other armed groups operating in Gaza," Oueis said. "Hamas is now fighting for survival."

In a joint statement issued Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said Odeh, who had replaced senior commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad only days earlier, was "one of the architects of the October 7 massacre."

"Sooner or later, Israel will reach all of them," Netanyahu and Katz said.

Inside Gaza, several residents interviewed by Jusoor News said they no longer viewed the deaths of Hamas leaders as personal losses.

"Of course we didn’t feel anything when Haddad, Sinwar, or others were killed," one Gazan activist and former political prisoner told Jusoor News in an on-camera interview, speaking with his face blurred for safety reasons.

The activist was referring to Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the Hamas military commander Israel said it killed earlier in May, and Yahya Sinwar, the former Hamas leader and chief architect of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, who was killed by Israeli forces in southern Gaza in October 2024.

"Ordinary people are the ones who paid the price, not the leaders who made reckless decisions without thinking," the activist said.

"As a result, Gaza today is almost completely destroyed," the activist said. "There are families who have lost everything, while the remaining leaders abroad and inside continue to gamble with our lives constantly."

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

A Gaza-based journalist echoed the frustration. 

"When we heard about the killing of Izz al-Din Haddad or others, we were not affected," the journalist said. "What is even more painful is that the children of the leaders live outside Gaza, in Turkey and Qatar, driving luxury cars and living comfortable lives, while people here have almost gone back to the Stone Age."

Another Gaza journalist and human rights advocate told Jusoor Hamas had harmed Palestinians as much as Israelis. 

"I do not see the deaths of the leaders as losses for the Palestinians, because we ordinary people are the ones who paid the price," the advocate said. "Honestly, Hamas did not only hurt the Israelis — they hurt us as well."

At the same time, Israeli analysts caution that the repeated assassinations do not necessarily mean Hamas is close to collapse.

Michael Milshtein, an expert on the Palestinian arena, told Fox News Digital that Hamas unquestionably has suffered severe damage since Oct. 7, 2023, particularly with the deaths of veteran commanders who helped build the organization’s military structure and doctrine.

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"Almost nobody remains from the core group that planned and led the October 7 attack," he said.

But he noted that Odeh himself had been viewed largely as a second-tier figure before the war rather than an obvious successor to Hamas’ historic military leadership.

"The people replacing them are far less experienced, less capable and far less charismatic," Milshtein said.

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

"People know they are likely going to die, and they still compete for these leadership positions," he said.

The debate over Hamas’ future comes as international efforts to shape a postwar political framework for Gaza accelerate.

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

The proposal includes a phased Hamas disarmament process, internationally supervised security reforms and the establishment of "one authority, one law, one weapon" inside Gaza.

"Gaza cannot recover while armed groups simultaneously operate as governing authorities," Mladenov wrote while outlining the proposal on social media.

For many Gazans exhausted by years of war, displacement and destruction, the deaths of Hamas leaders now appear to carry less emotional weight than the hope that the conflict itself could finally end.

"Gaza cannot remain hostage to the idea of permanent war while civilians alone pay the entire price," one activist said.

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Drone strikes apartment building in NATO member Romania as Russia attacks neighboring Ukraine

A drone struck an apartment building Friday in Romania, a NATO member, causing an explosion and fire that injured multiple people, local authorities said.

According to Romania’s Ministry of Defense, the incident occurred as Russia carried out an overnight drone attack in neighboring Ukraine near the Romanian border.

"A drone entered Romanian airspace, was tracked by radar systems as far as the Southern area of Galați municipality, and crashed onto the roof of a residential apartment building," the ministry said.

Romania — a member of both NATO and the European Union — has reported more than two dozen incidents involving Russian drones entering its airspace since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine.

NATO SCRAMBLES WARPLANES AS RUSSIA HITS NEAR ROMANIAN BORDER IN UKRAINE

Friday’s incident marked the first time a drone struck a populated area in Romania, resulting in injuries.

Romania’s state news agency reported that a woman and her child were hospitalized with minor injuries, while two other people were treated at the scene for panic attacks.

Following the incident, Romania requested additional anti-drone capabilities from NATO and described the drone’s flight path as a serious violation of international law, according to The Associated Press.

RUSSIAN DRONES TEST NATO'S ARTICLE 5 DEFENSE GUARANTEE AHEAD OF FRIDAY SANCTIONS DEADLINE

Romania’s emergency response agency said the drone struck the apartment building and exploded, sparking a fire on the 10th floor.

The agency said the drone’s entire explosive payload detonated upon impact.

Seventy people were evacuated from the building, authorities said. The fire has since been brought under control.

NEW ROMANIAN LAW MAY HAVE AVERTED NATO CLASH WITH RUSSIA AFTER BORDER STRIKES

The defense ministry said two F-16 fighter jets and a military helicopter were deployed to monitor the Russian attack. The pilots were authorized to shoot down any drones that posed a threat.

The incident came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this week that he was pressing the United States to provide additional Patriot air defense missiles to help counter Russian attacks.

He warned that deliveries to Ukraine were falling dangerously short as the conflict with Iran strains U.S. military resources and stockpiles.

"I believe [the U.S.] must act quicker. We are being very persistent," Zelenskyy told reporters during a visit to Sweden.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Moscow, Taliban forge military alliance in power grab after US Afghanistan exit: reports

Russia and the Taliban government in Afghanistan have signed a military cooperation pact, cementing an alliance that further solidifies Moscow’s influence in Central Asia, according to reports.

The deal, finalized Wednesday at an international security forum in Russia, followed a meeting between Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and Afghan Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob.

The Taliban Defense Ministry announced on X that Yaqoob had traveled to Russia to attend the conference.

Yaqoob is the Taliban’s former military chief and the son of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar.

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Omar had formed a close alliance with Osama bin Laden and provided a safe haven from which al Qaeda planned the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

As of Thursday, neither Russia nor the Afghan side had shared the further details of the new military agreement.

"Afghanistan and Russia have long and historical relations. In this direction, we want to move further. We have expanded bilateral relations," Yaqoob said at the meeting.

The pact follows statements from a senior Russian security official who noted that Moscow has established a "full-fledged partnership" with Afghanistan's ruling Taliban and is encouraging other countries in the region to expand cooperation with Kabul, Reuters reported.

The Taliban had regained power in August 2021, after overthrowing the U.S.-backed Afghan government run by President Ashraf Ghani.

In 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the possibility of dropping Russia’s classification of the Taliban as a terrorist organization.

FORMER AFGHAN TRANSLATOR WARNS OF STARVATION, HUMANITARIAN CRISIS: 'BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED IN 2001'

In 2024, he called the Taliban "allies in the fight against terrorism" and Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

"After several years of vacillation, Russia has become the first country in the world to officially recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan," Nikita Smagin, an expert on Iranian foreign and domestic policies, Islamism and Russia's policy in the Middle East, said in a report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"It’s more of a symbolic gesture than something driven by trade or economic considerations," Smagin added, describing how when Taliban militants entered the Afghan capital in August 2021, "Russia was already deemed eligible for special treatment."

"Its diplomatic mission was immediately provided with security, and Russian Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov became the first foreign diplomat to meet with the new rulers of Afghanistan," he explained.

On Wednesday, Shoigu also called for Western countries to unfreeze sanctioned Afghan assets.

AFGHANISTAN'S ONLY WOMEN-LED RADIO STATION TO RESUME OPERATIONS AFTER TALIBAN LIFTS SUSPENSION

"We are convinced that Western countries should unfreeze blocked Afghan assets, fully recognize their responsibility for their 20-year presence in Afghanistan, and bear the burden of the country's post-conflict reconstruction," Shoigu said, according to reports.

"Moscow needs to take steps that will restore its image as an influential power that holds the initiative, and recognition of the Taliban regime serves precisely that purpose," Smagin added.

"The status of the first country to establish official diplomatic relations with the Taliban government should ensure Russia has a leading role in discussions of regional security issues."

The recognition of the Taliban, he said, was an attempt by Russia to "prove itself as a leading global force that is not afraid to break established norms and set precedents for other countries."

Moscow continues to emphasize the need to work directly with Kabul as it faces severe, ongoing security threats from various rival Islamist militant groups operating throughout Central Asia and the Middle East, Reuters said.

Shoigu also said Moscow was building a "pragmatic dialogue" with the Taliban that included security, trade, culture and humanitarian support, the outlet reported May 14.

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Putin lands $16.5B nuclear win on Russia’s doorstep in massive Kazakhstan pact: reports

Russia signed a landmark nuclear agreement with Kazakhstan on Thursday to build the Central Asian country’s first-ever commercial power plant, marking a major geopolitical and economic victory for President Vladimir Putin, according to reports.

The $16.5 billion project, signed during high-level bilateral talks in Astana between Putin and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, will be backed by a Russian export loan covering roughly 85% of the total cost, Reuters reported.

Rosatom, Russia’s state-run nuclear corporation, will lead construction near the village of Ulken in southeastern Kazakhstan along the shores of Lake Balkhash.

Rosatom secured the primary construction mandate after beating out competition from China National Nuclear Corp., France’s EDF and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, the outlet said.

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The pact directly advances the Kremlin’s efforts to anchor its economic and geopolitical influence within former Soviet states amid Western sanctions.

According to the World Nuclear Association, Kazakhstan is the world's largest producer of uranium.

For Kazakhstan, the facility is intended to stabilize a long-term domestic energy supply, since it has struggled with old coal-reliant power infrastructure and electricity deficits for more than two decades.

"The agreement signed today on the construction of the Balkhash NPP has an important role," Tokayev said at the signing ceremony.

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Putin called the deal "a flagship project in the field of peaceful nuclear energy" and said "the commissioning of the plant will make a significant contribution to the energy supply of the Kazakh economy, helping to provide businesses and households with affordable and clean energy."

"I would like to point out that, as we agreed with the president of Kazakhstan, we are not simply talking about the creation of a nuclear power plant or construction; we are talking about the creation of an entire industry, including education, personnel training, and so on," he added.

According to Kazakhstan’s atomic energy agency, the massive facility will feature two advanced VVER-1200 Generation III+ reactors.

Total development costs are estimated at $16.5 billion, with officials noting that approximately $2 billion of the sum will be allocated toward security systems and foundational infrastructure.

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Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with the first reactor slated to become operational by early 2034.

The project follows a 2024 national referendum in which Kazakh voters formally approved development at the Balkhash site.

However, the pivot to atomic energy is sensitive for local citizens. The nation hosted hundreds of Soviet nuclear weapons tests at the Semipalatinsk site between 1949 and 1989, leaving behind severe public health crises and environmental pollution.

Distrust increased over the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine, after which tens of thousands of Kazakh workers fell ill assisting in cleanup operations.

According to Bloomberg, the two countries also signed a currency swap arrangement Thursday.

Bank of Russia Gov. Elvira Nabiullina and National Bank of Kazakhstan Gov. Timur Suleimenov signed the ruble-tenge swap agreement.

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Israel accuses UN of placing it on same sexual violence blacklist as Hamas terrorists, severs ties

Israeli officials blasted the United Nations after accusing the body of adding Israeli entities to a sexual violence blacklist that also includes the terrorist group Hamas.

"We are done with this UN Secretary-General. Guterres has put Israel on the same blacklist along with Hamas, ISIS and the most depraved terrorist organizations in the world. This is a moral disgrace that proves that Guterres has lost all credibility," Israel's ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

A spokesperson for Danon said Israel was officially freezing relations with the secretary-general's office as long as Antonio Guterres holds the position.

Danon claimed Guterres decided to include Israeli entities on a blacklist regarding sexual violence in conflict zones, prompting the ambassador to freeze relations with the U.N. Secretary-General's Office.

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"We are a strong democracy. We invited the representatives of the U.N. to come to Israel to check those ridiculous allegations. They chose not to come. They chose to continue with the campaign against Israel. We saw the lies in The New York Times, and now we see another lie coming from the U.N.," Danon said in a video shared with Fox News Digital.

"We are done with this Secretary-General," he concluded.

The United Nations has not confirmed the inclusion of Israel on a sexual blacklist. The U.N. did not respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital also reached out to The New York Times for comment.

ISRAEL FOREIGN MINISTRY CONDEMNS NEW YORK TIMES PIECE AS 'ONE OF THE WORST BLOOD LIBELS' IN MODERN PRESS

The Jerusalem Post first reported Wednesday night that the Israeli Prison Service will be included on the U.N.'s list of countries that commit sexual violence in conflict zones.

In early May, The New York Times published an opinion piece from writer Nicholas Kristof accusing Israeli prison guards of conducting institutionalized sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners. Kristof cited a 2025 U.N. report that called alleged Israeli sexual abuse of Palestinians "standard operating procedures towards Palestinians."

Israeli officials strongly rejected the piece's premises and accused Kristof and the Times of blood libel, threatening to sue the outlet in American courts.

THE UN’S BETRAYAL AND ISRAEL’S FIGHT FOR TRUTH

"In an unfathomable inversion of reality, and through an endless stream of baseless lies, propagandist Nicholas Kristof turns the victim into the accused. Israel -— whose citizens were the victims of the most horrific sexual crimes committed by Hamas on October 7, and whose hostages were later subjected to further sexual abuse -— is portrayed as the guilty party," the Israel Foreign Ministry wrote in a post on X in response to the Times piece.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry further commented Thursday on the reported U.N. blacklisting.

"Over the past year, Israel's Ambassador to the UN and the Israeli delegation held a series of meetings with U.N. representatives and provided documents, data, as well as a detailed response to all the allegations that were raised. Despite this, the U.N. Secretary-General chose to advance a political decision and include Israel alongside Hamas and terrorist organizations," the foreign ministry wrote in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

"The shameful and absurd U.N. decision to include Israeli entities in the annex to the CRSV report is further proof of the UN’s true nature: a politicized and corrupt organization that has abandoned its founding principles and systematically targets Israel as its primary mission. This decision is yet another example of the UN’s long-standing, institutionalized hostility toward Israel. Today’s decision must be understood in its true context: an attempt to create a fake symmetry between Israel and the real sexual atrocities committed by Hamas. This is its sole motivation. The person behind this farce is Antonio Guterres," the statement continued.

"This is the same Guterres who sought to 'contextualize' the October 7 massacre, who covered up the involvement of UN employees in those atrocities, and who has dragged the UN to its lowest point. Guterres is now exploiting his final months as Secretary-General to fabricate baseless accusations against Israel, completely devoid of any factual merit. Israel has comprehensively, thoroughly, and unequivocally refuted these allegations. Given that António Guterres has chosen to violate every standard of honesty, integrity, and professionalism, Israel has decided to sever all ties with the Secretary-General’s Office and will wait until a new UN Secretary-General is appointed," the statement concluded.

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Three wounded in Swiss train station 'bladed weapon' attack, phrase 'Allahu Akbar' allegedly shouted

A man suspected of attacking three individuals at a train station in Switzerland on Thursday morning has been arrested, according to Zurich Cantonal Police.

"About 30 meters away, I heard a man behind me shout 'Allahu akbar' five or six times, very emotionally and agitatedly," one witness reported recalled to the outlet Blick.

"Shortly after 8:30 a.m., a man injured three people with a bladed weapon at Winterthur train station. The suspected perpetrator was arrested by police. He is a 31-year-old Swiss national," Zurich Cantonal Police said.

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The three wounded Swiss nationals, ages 28, 43 and 52, were transported to the hospital, according to the release.

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"The motive for the attack is under investigation," the release added.

Zurich Cantonal Police did not provide Fox News Digital with additional information on the incident besides saying a press conference is planned Thursday afternoon about the incident.

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"Together with the Zurich cantonal police, the Winterthur city police, the SBB transport police, the rescue service of the Winterthur cantonal hospital and Zurich protection & rescue were deployed. More information will follow this afternoon," the press release noted.

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Israel eliminates head of Hamas' military wing in Gaza strike

The new head of Hamas’ military wing has been taken out by Israeli forces in an airstrike. 

Mohammed Odeh, who was "responsible for planning and coordinating Hamas terrorists’ infiltration and attack targets during the October 7 Massacre," was killed in an operation in northern Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces announced Wednesday. 

"Odeh served as the Head of Hamas’ military wing following the elimination of Izz al-Din al-Haddad," according to the IDF, which shared a photo showing Odeh among other now-deceased Hamas leadership. 

"Odeh was responsible for the murder, abduction, and wounding of many Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement. "We will continue to pursue anyone who took part in the October 7 massacre. Sooner or later, Israel will reach them all."

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Haddad was eliminated by an Israeli Air Force strike in Gaza City earlier this month, military officials said.

"The IDF will continue to pursue our enemies, strike them, and hold accountable everyone who took part in the October 7 Massacre. We will not relent until we reach them all — this is our duty to all those who returned and to all our civilians," IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir was quoted as saying following Haddad's death.

The IDF said, "Following the elimination of his predecessors, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Sinwar," Haddad had "assumed control of Hamas and worked to rebuild its military capabilities and infrastructure — a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement." 

IDF KILLS KEY HAMAS FOUNDER AND MASTERMIND OF OCT 7 TERROR ATTACK IN ISRAEL

"Haddad was one of the longest-serving commanders in Hamas and played a key role in its terrorist rule. He climbed the ranks and advanced into crucial positions, then was tasked with coordinating and planning the October 7 Massacre invasion," the IDF said in the announcement of Haddad’s death.

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 "Throughout the war, he was involved in the holding of many Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity," the IDF added. 

"In every conversation I held with the hostages who returned, the name of the arch-terrorist Izz al-Din al-Haddad… came up again and again," Zamir said.

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