Hamas Calls on Mediators to Obligate Israel to the Agreement Following the Assassination of Al-Haddad... and a Second Electoral Round to Choose a President

SadaNews - Hamas demanded on Saturday that mediators and the international community obligate Israel to adhere to the terms of the ceasefire agreement, following its assassination of the overall commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Az al-Din al-Haddad.

This came in a statement in which the movement mourned al-Haddad, who was assassinated by Israel along with his wife and daughter, following airstrikes targeting him in Gaza City on Friday, in an escalation of its daily violations of the ceasefire agreement that has been in effect since October 11, 2025.

Hamas stated that the "crime" of al-Haddad's assassination "places the intermediary and guarantor countries of the agreement before their political, legal, and moral responsibilities to act to obligate the occupying government to fully adhere to the terms of the agreement and halt its crimes against civilians."

It added that al-Haddad "represented a model of leadership" and was "one of the pillars of the resistance project in the Gaza Strip."

It noted that he lost his two sons, Suhayb and Mu'min, and his son-in-law Mahmoud Abu Hasira during the Israeli genocide war.

The movement considered that the assassination of al-Haddad and the ongoing attacks by Israel in Gaza since the ceasefire agreement went into effect "reflect attempts to impose political and field realities that they have failed to achieve through force, via policies of killing, pressuring the resistance leadership, and influencing its political positions."

It said that "the continued international silence, and the lack of real pressure" on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Netanyahu, who is wanted for international justice, has encouraged the occupation to continue its bloody approach and ongoing aggression against our people."

Hamas added, "The blood of all the martyrs will not go in vain; rather, it will remain fuel for the liberation battle and a light illuminating the path of resistance towards Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa." The movement called on Palestinians for "more cohesion, unity, and steadfastness."

Al-Haddad is the overall commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, succeeding Muhammad al-Sanwar, the brother of Hamas leader Yahya al-Sanwar, who was assassinated by Israel on May 13, 2025, in airstrikes northeast of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

Therefore, he is considered the number one target for Israeli intelligence agencies, as Israel accuses him of managing the restoration of the military capabilities of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades after the assassination of Muhammad al-Sanwar.

Since the ceasefire agreement was enacted over 7 months ago, the Israeli army has killed about 870 Palestinians and injured 2,543 others as part of its violations through shelling and gunfire on Gaza, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health in the strip.

The agreement was reached after two years of a genocide war initiated by Israel on October 7, 2023, with American support, resulting in over 72,000 martyrs and more than 172,000 injured, in addition to massive destruction affecting 90% of the civilian infrastructure.

Hamas Announces a Second Electoral Round to Choose a President Without Finalizing the Result

In addition, Hamas announced on Saturday evening that it had conducted an electoral round to choose a president for the movement, without finalizing the result from the first round.

The movement stated in a statement, "We conducted an electoral round to choose the president of the movement, and the result was not finalized in the first round; accordingly, a second round will be held later, in accordance with the movement's regulations and systems."