Netanyahu: Masterminds of October 7th Attack Almost Entirely Eliminated
(Central News Agency, Jerusalem, 17th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated today that Israel has nearly completed a key objective of the Gaza war: the elimination of all masterminds who planned the
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 18, 2026 at 05:22
- 🔍 Collected: May 18, 2026 at 05:31 (9 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 18, 2026 at 05:33 (1 min after Collected)
(Central News Agency, Jerusalem, 17th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated today that Israel has nearly completed a key objective of the Gaza war: the elimination of all masterminds who planned the October 7th raid.
According to AFP, Netanyahu's remarks followed an announcement by the Israeli military that Izz al-Din al-Haddad, a commander of the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza on the 15th.
Netanyahu had pledged after the October 7, 2023 raid to target and eliminate the masterminds of the attack. According to statistics compiled by AFP from official Israeli data, the incident resulted in 1,221 deaths.
In the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu stated, "I promised that every mastermind involved in the massacre and kidnapping would be eliminated, without exception, and we are now very close to completing this mission."
Since the cross-border attack by Hamas, the Israeli military and intelligence services have been continuously hunting down the organization's high-level political leaders and armed commanders in Gaza and the region.
During this war, Israel has announced the assassination of several Hamas leaders, including the organization's former political leader, Ismail Haniyeh.
Israeli soldiers also killed Hamas military leader Yahya Sinwar, who is widely considered one of the masterminds of the October 7th attack.
Mohammed Deif, a long-time commander of Hamas's armed faction and also considered a mastermind of the attack, was also killed during the war.
Israel's strikes have also targeted Hamas members in Lebanon, as well as high-level officials of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite fundamentalist militia allied with Hamas, including the organization's former leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Netanyahu emphasized today that the Israeli military currently controls 60% of the Gaza area.
This claim indicates that the military is continuing to expand its operational scope in Gaza. Recent media reports have stated that the Israeli military has advanced towards the newly designated "Orange Line."
According to the US-brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement that officially took effect on October 10 of last year, Israeli forces were supposed to retreat to the "Yellow Line" within Gaza, leaving them in control of over 50% of the Palestinian territory.
According to AFP, Netanyahu's remarks followed an announcement by the Israeli military that Izz al-Din al-Haddad, a commander of the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza on the 15th.
Netanyahu had pledged after the October 7, 2023 raid to target and eliminate the masterminds of the attack. According to statistics compiled by AFP from official Israeli data, the incident resulted in 1,221 deaths.
In the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu stated, "I promised that every mastermind involved in the massacre and kidnapping would be eliminated, without exception, and we are now very close to completing this mission."
Since the cross-border attack by Hamas, the Israeli military and intelligence services have been continuously hunting down the organization's high-level political leaders and armed commanders in Gaza and the region.
During this war, Israel has announced the assassination of several Hamas leaders, including the organization's former political leader, Ismail Haniyeh.
Israeli soldiers also killed Hamas military leader Yahya Sinwar, who is widely considered one of the masterminds of the October 7th attack.
Mohammed Deif, a long-time commander of Hamas's armed faction and also considered a mastermind of the attack, was also killed during the war.
Israel's strikes have also targeted Hamas members in Lebanon, as well as high-level officials of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite fundamentalist militia allied with Hamas, including the organization's former leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Netanyahu emphasized today that the Israeli military currently controls 60% of the Gaza area.
This claim indicates that the military is continuing to expand its operational scope in Gaza. Recent media reports have stated that the Israeli military has advanced towards the newly designated "Orange Line."
According to the US-brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement that officially took effect on October 10 of last year, Israeli forces were supposed to retreat to the "Yellow Line" within Gaza, leaving them in control of over 50% of the Palestinian territory.