A senior Hamas chief has been killed in a predawn strike in southern Gaza, as Israel has intensified assaults throughout the Gaza Strip, killing at the very least 634 Palestinians since breaking the ceasefire deal on Tuesday.
Salah al-Bardawil, a senior member of Hamas’s political bureau, was killed on Sunday alongside along with his spouse whereas praying of their tent shelter in Khan Younis, based on the Palestinian group, which accused Israel of assassinating him.
“His blood, that of his spouse and martyrs, will stay fueling the battle of liberation and independence. The prison enemy won’t break our dedication and can,” the group mentioned in an announcement.
Israeli officers had no speedy remark to supply. A number of senior Hamas leaders have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive final week.
At the least 23 individuals have been killed in predawn raids on Sunday, with the Israeli army issuing evacuation orders for Tal as-Sultan in Rafah.
Reporting from Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum mentioned Israel has launched “fierce and intensive air assaults” on Gaza over the previous few hours.
“The state of affairs right here stays essential,” Abu Azzoum mentioned.
“There was a transparent escalation in Gaza since Israel unilaterally broke the ceasefire and launched assaults on closely populated neighbourhoods, hospitals, colleges and mosques, too,” he defined, including that there had been no confrontation between Israeli troops and Hamas fighters to date.
Renewed assaults
Israel resumed bombardment of Gaza, which has been affected by an assist blockade, final week. On Wednesday, it additionally relaunched a floor offensive, sending its troops to areas it had retreated from through the almost two-month ceasefire. Israeli forces violated the ceasefire a number of instances because it got here into impact on January 19.
Israeli troops have killed almost 50,000 individuals for the reason that Gaza battle started on October 7, 2023, following lethal assaults on Israel led by Hamas. At the least 1,139 individuals have been killed in southern Israel within the assault, and a few 250 have been taken captive, most of whom have since been launched by negotiations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has mentioned the renewed army offensive was aimed toward forcing Hamas to surrender the remaining captives it holds.
Nevertheless, Hamas has accused Israel of sacrificing the captives with the assaults and blamed Netanyahu for breaking the ceasefire settlement by refusing to start negotiations to finish the battle and withdraw its troops from Gaza.
On Friday, the group mentioned it was finding out a US bridging proposal to revive the ceasefire into April after the top of the month of Ramadan and the Jewish celebration of Passover, to permit for negotiations to finish the battle.
Israel launches assaults on Lebanon
In the meantime, Israel launched a second wave of strikes in response to a rocket assault from throughout the border on Saturday, threatening to unravel the November 2023 ceasefire with the Hezbollah group.
Israel mentioned it carried out assaults on the cities of Tyre and Touline, concentrating on what it referred to as Hezbollah positions. The army mentioned six rockets, three of which have been intercepted, have been fired from Lebanon into northern Israel.
Hezbollah denied its involvement within the assault and mentioned Israel’s accusations have been “pretexts for its continued assaults on Lebanon”.
The group added that it stands “with the Lebanese state in addressing this harmful Zionist escalation on Lebanon”.
At the least seven individuals have been killed and 40 others injured since Israeli strikes started on Saturday.
