{"id":678,"date":"2026-05-17T15:41:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T15:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=678"},"modified":"2026-05-17T15:41:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T15:41:17","slug":"most-of-the-architects-of-october-7-attacks-have-been-killed-says-netanyahu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=678","title":{"rendered":"Most of the architects of October 7 attacks have been killed, says Netanyahu"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--banner-top o-ad-container--with-shimmer o-ad-container--with-background\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><br \/>\n                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-type=\"sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-status=\"disabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring__wrapper\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content t-content--article\" id=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"t-content__above-sidebar\">\n<h1 class=\"t-content__title a-page-title\">Most of the architects of October 7 attacks have been killed, says Netanyahu<\/h1>\n<div class=\"m-master-tag\">\n<div class=\"a-tag-section\">\n                                    Middle East\n                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"t-content__chapo\">\n                                        Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel is close to finishing a key war aim in Gaza: killing the planners of the October 7 attacks. The comments came after Israel said it had killed senior Hamas commander Ezzedine Al-Haddad in an airstrike, as its campaign against the group\u2019s leadership continues.                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__with-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"t-content__beside-sidebar\" data-article-content>\n<div class=\"t-content__metadata\">\n<div class=\"t-content__dates\">\n<p class=\"m-pub-dates\"><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Issued on: <time datetime=\"2026-05-17T15:13:31+00:00\">17\/05\/2026 &#8211; 17:13<\/time><\/span><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Modified: <time datetime=\"2026-05-17T15:14:17+00:00\">17\/05\/2026 &#8211; 17:14<\/time><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-reading-time\">\n    <span class=\"a-reading-time__icon\" title=\"Reading time\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><br \/>\n    2 min    <span class=\"u-sr-only\">Reading time<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a-share-button\" data-root-share>\n<p>                            <span class=\"a-master-button__label\">Share<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__authors\">\n<div class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                By:<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-author\">\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/france-24\/\" title=\"FRANCE 24\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                FRANCE 24<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__main-media\">\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/8c1e72d0-51ff-11f1-adac-005056a90284\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/2026-05-11T004852Z-1182016822-RC2MTKAAGNAB-RTRMADP-3-USA-ISRAEL-NETANYAHU.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/8c1e72d0-51ff-11f1-adac-005056a90284\/w:388\/p:16x9\/2026-05-11T004852Z-1182016822-RC2MTKAAGNAB-RTRMADP-3-USA-ISRAEL-NETANYAHU.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/8c1e72d0-51ff-11f1-adac-005056a90284\/w:720\/p:16x9\/2026-05-11T004852Z-1182016822-RC2MTKAAGNAB-RTRMADP-3-USA-ISRAEL-NETANYAHU.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/8c1e72d0-51ff-11f1-adac-005056a90284\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/2026-05-11T004852Z-1182016822-RC2MTKAAGNAB-RTRMADP-3-USA-ISRAEL-NETANYAHU.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1076px) 100vw, 1012px\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"Israel\u2019s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony commemorating Israel\u2019s Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers at the Military Cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem April 21, 2026.\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                <span>Israel\u2019s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony commemorating Israel\u2019s Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem on April 21, 2026.<\/span>                <span>\u00a9 Ilia Yefimovich via Reuters<\/span>            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__body u-clearfix\">\n<p>Prime Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/benjamin-netanyahu\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> said Sunday that Israel had almost completed a key goal of the war in Gaza\u00a0\u2013 eliminating all those responsible for orchestrating the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/october-7-attacks\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">October 7 attacks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>His remarks followed the Israeli military&#8217;s announcement that Ezzedine Al-Haddad, commander of Hamas&#8217;s armed wing, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20260516-israel-says-leader-of-hamas-armed-wing-killed-in-strike-on-gaza\" target=\"_self\">had been killed in an airstrike in Gaza<\/a> on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>In the aftermath of the October 7 assault, Netanyahu pledged to target and eliminate the masterminds behind the attacks, which, according to an AFP tally based on official figures, left 1,221 people dead in Israel.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I promised that every single architect of the massacre and the hostage-taking would be eliminated down to the last one, and we are very close to completing this mission,&#8221; Netanyahu said during the weekly cabinet meeting, describing Haddad as a &#8220;despicable terrorist&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Since Hamas&#8217;s cross-border assault, the Israeli military and intelligence services have waged a campaign targeting the group&#8217;s senior political leaders and militant commanders in Gaza and across the region.<\/p>\n<p>During the war triggered by the Hamas attacks, Israel has claimed responsibility for assassinating several Hamas leaders, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/yahya-sinwar\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Yahya Sinwar<\/a>, who was widely regarded as one of the masterminds behind the October 7 attack.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a-read-more\"><span class=\"a-read-more__label\">Read more<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20241018-hamas-leader-sinwar-s-death-may-be-a-turning-point-for-the-war-in-gaza\" target=\"_self\" class=\"a-read-more__link\">Hamas leader Sinwar\u2019s death may be a turning point for the war in Gaza<\/a><\/p>\n<p>It also killed Mohammed Deif, the longtime commander of Hamas&#8217;s armed wing and another architect of the attack.<\/p>\n<p>Netanyahu also reiterated on Sunday that Israeli forces currently control 60 percent of Gaza&#8217;s territory.<\/p>\n<p>The statement suggests that the military has continued to expand its operational presence in Gaza, following recent media reports that Israeli troops had advanced toward a newly-designated &#8220;Orange Line&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Under the terms of the US-brokered <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/ceasefire\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">ceasefire<\/a> between Israel and Hamas, in effect since October 10, Israeli forces were to withdraw to a so-called &#8220;Yellow Line&#8221; in Gaza, leaving them in control of more than 50 percent of the Palestinian territory.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We have Hamas in our grip. We know exactly what our mission is, and our mission is: To ensure that Gaza will never again pose a threat to Israel,&#8221; Netanyahu said.<\/p>\n<p>Israel&#8217;s military campaign against Hamas since the October 2023 attacks has killed more than 72,700 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to the territory&#8217;s health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority.<\/p>\n<p>The United Nations considers these figures reliable.<\/p>\n<p><em>(FRANCE 24 with AFP)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"o-sidebar__aside\">\n<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--box o-ad-container--with-shimmer\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><br \/>\n                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__tags t-content__below-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"m-section-title m-section-title--small\">Keywords for this article<\/div>\n<ul class=\"m-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/israel\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Israel\">    Israel<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/benjamin-netanyahu\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Benjamin Netanyahu\">    Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/gaza-strip\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Gaza Strip\">    Gaza Strip<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/october-7-attacks\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"October 7 attacks\">    October 7 attacks<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Advertising Most of the architects of October 7 attacks have been killed, says Netanyahu Middle&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":679,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=678"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/678\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":680,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/678\/revisions\/680"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}