Goa, May 27 -- Israel on Tuesday announced that it had carried out an airstrike in Gaza targeting Mohammed Odeh, the newly appointed commander of Hamas' armed wing, just days after his predecessor was reportedly killed in a similar operation.

In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted the strike against Odeh, accusing him of being one of the key planners behind the October 7 attacks in Israel.

The statement described Odeh as the new head of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, following the recent death of former commander Ezzedine Al-Haddad in another Israeli strike earlier this month.

However, Israeli authorities did...