Defence Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that the Israeli army has eliminated Hamas’s leaders in Gaza, and that Khalil al-Hayya, the movement’s political bureau chief, will be next. The statement came as a breaking flash with details to follow, and no independent confirmation of the claim was available.
Israeli defence minister says Hamas leaders in Gaza eliminated
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Sunday the army has eliminated Hamas's leaders in Gaza, warning that Hamas political chief Khalil al-Hayya will be next.
Why it matters: The claim, if it holds, would mark a new phase in the Gaza campaign; Katz's public naming of al-Hayya signals the target list is widening beyond the strip.
Data as of Sunday, October 11, 2026, via Al Jazeera Arabic (in Arabic), translated. This is Katz's own claim as a party to the conflict; it is uncorroborated and the outlet marked the item as breaking with details to follow.