Israeli airstrikes across the southern Gaza Strip killed at least 19 Palestinians overnight into Sunday, including a senior political leader from Hamas, according to officials.
Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are allied with Hamas, launched another missile toward Israel, triggering air raid sirens. The Israeli military reported that the missile was intercepted, with no casualties or damage reported.
An Israeli airstrike has killed senior Hamas political leader Salah al-Bardaweel in Khan Younis, located in southern Gaza, according to statements from Hamas and Palestinian media early Sunday. Bardaweel, a member of Hamas’ political office, was killed along with his wife, as reported by Reuters citing pro-Hamas sources.
Israel has resumed large-scale military operations in Gaza since Tuesday, intensifying attacks across the heavily damaged enclave. The renewed offensive follows a weeks-long stalemate over extending the ceasefire, which had paused fighting in January. Palestinian health officials report that hundreds have been killed in the latest wave of violence.
In addition to Bardaweel, Israeli strikes earlier this week also killed several senior Hamas figures, including Essam Addalees, head of the group’s de facto government, and internal security chief Mahmoud Abu Watfa. On Friday, the Israeli military announced it had killed Osama Tabash, head of Hamas’ military intelligence and its surveillance and targeting unit, in southern Gaza.
Palestinian health officials reported that at least 400 people were killed in Tuesday’s strikes alone, with over half of the victims being women and children.
The escalation comes amid ongoing tensions over the future of the three-phase ceasefire agreement that began in January. Despite mediation efforts by Arab countries and support from the United States, Israel and Hamas have been unable to reach an agreement on the next phase of the truce. During the first phase, Hamas released about three dozen hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, talks have since stalled, with around 60 hostages still held in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has emphasized that the core objective of the war remains the complete dismantling of Hamas as both a military and governing force. Earlier this month, he also halted the delivery of food and humanitarian aid to Gaza in an effort to pressure Hamas during negotiations.
The war began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched a cross-border attack that killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent military response has led to the deaths of more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced nearly 90 percent of Gaza’s population. The Gaza Health Ministry does not differentiate between militants and civilians in its casualty figures but states that more than half of those killed have been women and children.