Israeli air strike on Gaza kills top Hamas official
An Israeli air strike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, has killed Salah al-Bardawil, a senior Hamas political leader. He was killed in al-Mawasi, where thousands of displaced Palestinians live in tents, Hamas confirmed on Sunday.
A ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, in place since January, ended on Tuesday night as the Israeli air force resumed its bombardment of Gaza. Israel accuses Hamas of refusing to release Israeli hostages, while Hamas blames Israel for breaking the truce.
Since then, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. Among those killed is al-Bardawil, who was Hamas' most senior political leader since the deaths of Yahya Sinwar and Rawhi Mushtaha last year. Hamas said on Sunday that a rocket had hit his tent in the southern city of Khan Younis.
According to the Gaza Health ministry, more than 50,000 people have been killed in Israeli bombardments and ground attacks since the start of the conflict in October 2023. The ministry reported a total of 50,021 dead and 113,274 wounded on Sunday.
Although the ministry is controlled by Hamas, these figures are generally considered reliable. The actual death toll is likely to be even higher, observers say. Most of the victims are women and children, according to aid workers and international organisations.
Israel seems intent to continue the bombings. On Sunday morning, the Israeli army ordered residents of the Tal al-Sultan area of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, to leave the area because of a new offensive.
Regional tensions are also rising. On Saturday morning, Israel intercepted three rockets fired from Libanon. While Hezbollah denied any involvement, Israel responded with several retaliatory strikes. On Sunday, Israel also intercepted an attack by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
© PHOTO MOIZ SALHI / APA IMAGES
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