Following the elimination of the Sinwar brothers by Israeli forces, the new military leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip is identified as Izz al-Din al-Khattab, also known as Abu Sukhail, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Al-Khattab, who now leads Hamas’s military wing, maintains an extremely low profile, speaks fluent Hebrew, reportedly keeps photos of Israeli hostages on his phone, and is now Israel’s top target amid a critical phase of the conflict.
The Wall Street Journal cites Arab and Israeli officials, along with a former hostage who met al-Khattab during captivity, stating that he played a key role in planning and executing the October 7, 2025 attack on southern Israel that resulted in 1,200 deaths and 251 abductions.
Known as the “Ghost of the Qassam Brigades” due to his elusive nature, the 55-year-old has survived multiple Israeli assassination attempts and has a bounty of $750,000 on his head. Both of his sons were killed during the war in Gaza this year.
A recently released Israeli hostage recounted meeting al-Khattab five times in Gaza, even sharing the same apartment. During their first encounter in March 2024, al-Khattab insisted on speaking in Hebrew and told the hostage that he was responsible for all captives. He later showed them photos of other hostages stored on his phone.
The former hostage noted that al-Khattab was concerned about how prisoners would describe their treatment. When asked if some guards were better than others, he replied: “That’s life. There are good people and there are bad people.”
While initially cordial, al-Khattab appeared colder during a later meeting in January 2025, covering his face while condemning Israeli “war crimes.” It was shortly after he learned that one of his sons had been killed in an Israeli strike.
Israeli Defense Minister announced that the next targets of the IDF are al-Khattab, located in Gaza, and Khalil al-Haya, who remains abroad.
Arab and Israeli officials told The Wall Street Journal that al-Khattab rose through the ranks of the Qassam Brigades before becoming its commander.
Sources claim that al-Khattab is more pragmatic than the Sinwar brothers and pushed for a truce in January 2025 that involved the release of dozens of Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees held by Israel. He reportedly supported releasing more hostages to preserve the ceasefire, although it eventually collapsed in March 2025.
He is described as more open to Israel’s demand that Hamas disarm as part of ending the war—a condition rejected by both Sinwar brothers. Instead, al-Khattab reportedly advocates for a full cessation of hostilities and Israeli military withdrawal in exchange for the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza.
According to The New York Times, al-Khattab recently stated that either Hamas will reach a ‘fair agreement’ with Israel or the conflict will escalate into a ‘war of liberation or martyrdom.’