On December 3, 2023, the Israeli army announced Al-Hawajri’s killing in an airstrike, accusing him of leading Hamas’ activities at Al-Shifa Hospital and directing combat operations against Israeli forces.
The Israeli occupation army has acknowledged that its intelligence regarding the successful assassination of Haitham Al-Hawajri, the commander of the Beach Brigade in Hamas’ military wing, was incorrect.
An army spokesman confirmed that the evidence used to announce Al-Hawajri’s killing “was not accurate.”
This admission came after Israeli reports revealed that Al-Hawajri participated in the handover of Israeli detainee Keith Siegel at the Gaza port on Saturday, December 2, 2023.
ISRAELI ARMY SPOKESMAN: The Israeli army spokesperson admitted that intelligence about the successful assassination of Qassam Brigades’ Coastal Brigade commander, Haitham Al-Hawajri, was incorrect. This follows his appearance during the handover of Israeli detainee Keith Siegel… pic.twitter.com/UpNdUAhf6K
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 1, 2025
On December 3, 2023, the Israeli army announced Al-Hawajri’s killing in an airstrike, accusing him of leading Hamas’ activities at Al-Shifa Hospital and directing combat operations against Israeli forces.
However, his recent appearance during the prisoner exchange has exposed flaws in Israel’s intelligence assessments.
This is not the first instance of the Israeli army retracting claims about killing senior Hamas commanders.
On January 22, Hussein Fayyad (Abu Hamza), the commander of the Beit Hanoun Battalion in the Al-Qassam Brigades, appeared in a video eight months after the Israeli army declared him killed in the northern Gaza Strip.
The video showed Fayyad meeting with citizens amid the widespread destruction caused by Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The Al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas have transferred American-Israeli prisoner Keith Segal to the International Red Cross in Gaza City, as part of a larger prisoner exchange deal. https://t.co/7eJKzoMIXP pic.twitter.com/Dttwi9I9Zf
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 1, 2025
In the video, Fayyad discussed the ongoing war, highlighting the Israeli army’s losses and its failure to achieve its stated objectives.
He emphasized that the occupation’s inability to defeat Gaza underscores its strategic failure.
Last May, the Israeli army had claimed to have killed Fayyad in the Jabaliya camp, accusing him of orchestrating anti-tank and mortar attacks on Israeli towns near the Gaza border.
The reappearance of both Al-Hawajri and Fayyad has raised questions about the accuracy of Israel’s intelligence and its ability to neutralize Hamas’ leadership.
These developments also underscore the resilience of Hamas’ military structure despite Israel’s extensive military operations in Gaza.
(PC, AJA)
