A senior Hamas official was killed in a strike before dawn in southern Gaza, because Israel has intensified attacks through the Gaza Strip, killing at least 634 Palestinians since its ceasefire rupture on Tuesday.
Salah al-Bardawil, the main member of the Hamas political bureau, was killed on Sunday with his wife while praying in their tent refuge in Khan Younis, according to the Palestinian group, who accused Israel of assassinating him.
“His blood, that of his wife and his martyrs, will remain fueling the battle of liberation and independence. The criminal enemy will not break our determination and the will,” the group said in a statement.
Israeli officials had no immediate comments to offer. Several senior Hamas leaders have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive last week.
On Sunday, at least 23 people were killed in the Raids on prejudices, the Israeli soldiers issuing evacuation orders for Tal As-Sultan in Rafah.
Reporting Deir El-Balah, in the center of Gaza, Tareq Abu Azzoum of Tel Aviv Tribune said that Israel had launched “ferocious and in-depth air attacks” against Gaza in the last hours.
“The situation here remains critical,” said Abu Azzoum.
“There has been a clear escalation in Gaza since Israel unilaterally broke the ceasefire and launched attacks against neighborhoods, hospitals, schools and highly populated mosques,” he explained, so far adding no confrontation between Israeli troops and Hamas fighters.
Renewed attacks
Before Israel resumed the bombing of Gaza last week, he blocked the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza ravaged by the war and reduced the supply of electricity since March 1.
On Wednesday, he also relaunched an offensive on the ground, sending his troops to the areas to whom she had withdrawn during the ceasefire of almost two months. Israeli forces have violated the ceasefire several times since its entry into force on January 19.
Israeli troops have killed nearly 50,000 people since the Gaza War on October 7, 2023, following deadly attacks against Israel led by Hamas. At least 1,139 people were killed in southern Israel during the attack, and some 250 have been taken captive, most of which have since been released by negotiations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the renewed military offensive was to force Hamas to abandon the remaining captives he has.
However, Hamas accused Israel of having sacrificed the captives with the attacks and blamed Netanyahu of having broken the cease-fire agreement by refusing to start the negotiations to end the war and withdraw its troops from Gaza.
Friday, the group said that he was studying an American bridging proposal to restore the ceasefire in April after the end of the month of Ramadan and the Jewish celebration of Passover, to allow negotiations to end the war.
Israel is launching attacks on Lebanon
Meanwhile, Israel launched a second wave of strikes in response to a rocket attack on Saturday, threatening to unravel the ceasefire in November 2023 with the Hezbollah group.
Israel said that he had conducted attacks on the cities of Tire and Touline, targeting what she called Hezbollah’s positions. The army said that six rockets, three of which were intercepted, were dismissed from Lebanon in northern Israel.
Hezbollah denied its involvement in the attack and said that the accusations of Israel were “pretexts for its continuous attacks against Lebanon”.
The group added that it is “with the Lebanese state to tackle this dangerous Zionist escalation in Lebanon”.
At least seven people were killed and 40 others injured since the Israeli strikes began on Saturday.
