Ez al-Dine al-Haddad: The Gaza Brigade Commander Tasked With Rebuilding al-Qassam

For two decades, Ez al-Dine al-Haddad, a senior member of the al-Qassam Brigades’ General Military Council, has played a key role in planning and executing military operations against “Israel.”

His involvement was particularly significant in the October 7, 2023, attack known as Operation al-Aqsa Flood, which “Israel” described as its “worst defeat in history.”

Al-Haddad, the commander of the Gaza Brigade, is considered one of the most prominent figures in Hamas’s military wing. He leads at least six battalions, along with a special forces unit.

A Key Figure

Israeli officials say he now commands the entire northern sector of Gaza, overseeing two regional commands and 14 battalions.

According to Haaretz, al-Haddad is leading al-Qassam's forces in northern Gaza and is responsible for rebuilding the brigade’s military capabilities.

“Israel” has placed a $750,000 bounty on his whereabouts, ranking him fourth on its most-wanted list of al-Qassam leaders, following Marwan Issa, Mohammed Sinwar, and Raed Saad.

However, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee has labeled al-Haddad the top target, calling him the most dangerous among three key field commanders in al-Qassam.

Al-Haddad, known by his nom de guerre “Abu Suhaib,” has remained largely unknown outside military circles, with little publicly available information about his early life. However, his military career is marked by years of battles and key events.

He joined Hamas at a young age, aligning with the movement since its inception in 1987. Rising through the ranks of al-Qassam Brigades, he started as a foot soldier in the Gaza Brigade before becoming a platoon commander, then a battalion commander, eventually leading the brigade itself.

Throughout his years in the brigade, al-Haddad served as a crucial link between Hamas commanders and played a direct role in planning and executing military operations.

He was also instrumental in organizing al-Majd Apparatus within al-Qassam, a unit responsible for tracking and eliminating suspected agents and spies working for “Israel.”

Surviving Assassination Attempts

During the Israeli Occupation’s 2008 aggression on Gaza—known by Hamas as Operation Cast Lead—al-Haddad commanded the eastern sector of Gaza City. On January 2, 2009, Israeli forces targeted his home in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood.

In the 2012 war on Gaza, which Hamas called Operation Stones of Shale, he was leading the southern Gaza Brigade when “Israel” bombed his home again in an attempt to assassinate him.

By the time of the 2021 war, known as the Sword of Jerusalem Battle, al-Haddad had become commander of al-Qassam’s general combat support forces. On May 17, 2021, during “Israel’s Operation Guardian of the Walls,” his home was targeted for the third time in another failed assassination attempt.

Al-Haddad’s Pledge

Ez al-Dine al-Haddad assumed command of the Gaza Brigade in May 2022, during Operation Breaking Dawn. He stepped into the role after the assassination of brigade leader Bassem Issa on the war’s first day in what became known as the command tunnel strike.

Just days after taking command, al-Haddad appeared in a recorded statement, warning that “Israel” would be “shocked by the precision, intensity, and impact of Al-Qassam’s rockets in any future battle.”

In a documentary about martyr Hamas commander Walid Shamali, al-Haddad vowed that Israeli Occupation’s assassinations of senior leaders and engineers would not halt the development of al-Qassam’s arsenal, adding, “The enemy will witness what will bring them grief, God willing.”

“In the next battle, the enemy will witness the work of this dedicated resistance movement. This is God’s promise—our path leads to the sacred land, and we are coming.”

Al-Haddad’s promise was swiftly realized, as at least six brigades, including an elite unit responsible for the first assault on Gaza’s surrounding settlements on the morning of October 7, 2023, under Operation al-Aqsa Flood operated under his command.

In June 2024, Israel Hayom claimed to have obtained documents detailing Hamas’s strategy and approach during the operation.

Among the documents were instructions distributed by Ez al-Dine al-Haddad to al-Qassam members involved in the attack. According to the documents, the operation was designed to be the first wave in a series of attacks on “Israel.”

One document revealed that on October 6, just hours before the surprise attack, al-Haddad secretly summoned the brigade leaders under his command. He handed them a printed sheet with the al-Qassam Brigades logo, which read: “Believing in a decisive victory, the leadership of the brigades has agreed to launch the major military operation, al-Aqsa Flood. Trust in God, fight bravely, act with a clear conscience, and let the shouts of 'Allahu Akbar' be the glory.”

Al-Haddad’s instructions included ensuring live broadcasts of the attack and the takeover of the settlement strongholds. He also advised bringing flags from Arab and Islamic countries to be raised at the sites.

The main objective of the operation was “to capture as many Israeli soldiers as possible in the first moments of the battle and send them to the Gaza Strip.”

The Successor of Deif

Following Operation al-Aqsa Flood and during the 15 months of Israeli aggression on Gaza, “Israel” attempted multiple times to eliminate Ez al-Dine al-Haddad.

In December 2023, the Israeli military’s 162nd Division raided his home in the Tuffah neighborhood, claiming to have found photos documenting his relationships with other al-Qassam leaders.

In February 2024, “Israel” launched an attack on a house in Tel al-Hawa, allegedly where al-Haddad was residing, but he was unharmed. They also claimed to have destroyed one of his homes in Gaza on March 3, 2024.

In June 2024, the Israeli military spokesperson announced that, during the war, al-Haddad had become responsible for northern Gaza.

On January 24, 2025, he appeared on Al-Jazeera's What Is Hidden Is Greater program where he provided detailed information about Operation al-Aqsa Flood and the reasons behind the attack. He revealed that “Hamas had obtained information about Israeli plans for a devastating war on Gaza before launching the operation.”

“The al-Qassam Intelligence Unit had hacked into one of Israel's Unit 8200 intelligence servers and seized a crucial document,” he said.

Al-Haddad explained that the Israeli plan involved a surprise airstrike targeting all resistance factions, followed by a large-scale, destructive ground assault.

He also confirmed that “al-Qassam adopted a strategic deception plan to mislead the enemy, making them believe we fell for their trap. We kept our plans for the al-Aqsa Flood within the closest circle.”

Israeli sources have suggested that al-Haddad may be the successor to al-Qassam Brigades' Chief of Staff, Mohammed Deif. In July 2024, Kan 11 reported that Deif was likely present during the attack in Khan Younis and that he “may have been injured or even killed.”

Channel analyst Elior Levi added that sources indicated al-Haddad was designated as a successor if Deif died.

After Hamas officially announced Deif's martyrdom on January 30, 2025, Ez al-Dine al-Haddad emerged as one of the most prominent potential successors to lead the military wing of Hamas in Gaza.