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Presumed-dead Hamas commander reappears in Gaza during Israeli hostage handover

The Israeli army had claimed to have "eliminated" Haitham Khouwajari in December 2023.

Presumed-dead Hamas commander reappears in Gaza during Israeli hostage handover

Hamas fighters secure an area before handing over an Israeli-American hostage to a Red Cross team in Gaza City on Feb. 1, 2025, as part of the fourth hostage and prisoner exchange. (Credit: Omar al-Qattaa/AFP)

The Israeli military has issued a statement confirming that Haitham Khouwajari, commander of Hamas’s Al-Shati Brigade, is alive, following an Al Jazeera report claiming he was seen at the site where the first two Israeli hostages of the day were released in Gaza City on Saturday.

In December 2023, the Israeli army had announced that Khouwajari was killed in an airstrike. "After the attack, the Shin Bet intelligence service and the army had determined with high probability that he had been eliminated. […] A more in-depth review shows that the terrorist was not killed in this attack," the statement reads. The announcement was also shared by the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, on social media.

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Hezbollah hails Mohammed Deif's 'sacrifice'

This reappearance comes two days after Hamas officially confirmed the death of Mohammad Deif, the shadowy leader of the Ezzeddine al-Qassam Brigades since 2002 and one of the masterminds behind the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel.

Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the Ezzeddine al-Qassam Brigades, announced on Thursday in a statement "the martyrdom of Commander Mohammad Deif […] among other officials," without providing further details. Deif was reportedly killed by the Israeli army on July 13, 2024, in a strike on the Al-Mawassi displaced persons camp in Gaza. The attack left at least 71 dead and more than 280 wounded, according to figures from the local Health Ministry.

The Israeli military has issued a statement confirming that Haitham Khouwajari, commander of Hamas’s Al-Shati Brigade, is alive, following an Al Jazeera report claiming he was seen at the site where the first two Israeli hostages of the day were released in Gaza City on Saturday.In December 2023, the Israeli army had announced that Khouwajari was killed in an airstrike. "After the attack, the...