Senior Hamas leader killed in Israeli airstrike on southern Gaza

An Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza has killed top Hamas political leader Salah al Bardaweel, officials of the militant group have said.

He was a member of the party’s political bureau and Palestinian parliament – and often gave media interviews.

In a statement, Hamas said he was “a beacon of political, media, and national activism”, and a “symbol of honesty, steadfastness, and sacrifice”.

However, the Israeli Defence Force called him a “senior terrorist”, adding: “This elimination further degrades Hamas’ military and government capabilities.”

The strike, which took place on Khan Younis, also killed his wife – and several other Palestinians.

At least 30 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on Rafah and Khan Younis on Sunday, Gaza health authorities said.

The European Hospital and Kuwaiti Hospital said women and children were among those killed in the Khan Younis attack.

Explosions through the night

Explosions took place throughout the north, central, and southern Gaza Strip in the early hours of Sunday – with Israeli planes hitting several targets.

More than 50,000 people have now been killed in the territory since the war began, according to Gaza health officials.

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but has previously said more than half of those killed in the conflict were women and children.

On Sunday, the Israeli military ordered people to evacuate from part of Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah.

Ayda Abu Shaer, displaced from Rafah, was caught up in the shelling, and told the Associated Press: “We died tonight. Tanks are shelling us, our tents and houses, and they are shooting at us. We never slept. In the morning, they told us to leave. They threw leaflets.”

“All the way, they were shooting at us and dropping shells and rockets. We threw ourselves into the streets and fell, asking for mercy. Enough is enough. We are exhausted. Our sons and daughters are dead, and the children have been orphaned.

“We don’t know what to do.”

‘No ambulances and no Red Cross’

Hadeel Ghanim, also forced to leave Rafah, said: “There is no ambulances and no Red Cross. People have been walking for hours, with them elderly people and children unable to move.

“We do not know where to go. We left without tents, without mattresses, without anything. We do not know where to go or what to do. For God’s sake, save us.”

The war began when Hamas militants carried out a cross-border raid into southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing around 250 hostages. Israel responded by launching an air and ground offensive in Gaza.

On Tuesday, Israel’s military abandoned the ceasefire agreement that began on 19 January by resuming significant airstrikes on Gaza.

Israel claims Hamas broke the ceasefire – something the group denies, in turn accusing Israel of violating the agreement that was initiated by Qatar, Egypt and the US.

Speaking to Israel’s ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely, Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Thursday challenged the idea that Hamas broke the ceasefire, given the militant group released all the hostages that were agreed upon during the first phase.

Mr Hotovely said: “Hamas is not releasing hostages anymore. Israel has no other choice rather than putting pressure on a terror organisation.”

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Hamas has spent weeks calling for serious talks on the ceasefire agreement’s second phase, which calls for the release of remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian political prisoners, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a permanent ceasefire.

But Hamas has said it is still willing to negotiate and was studying “bridging” proposals from US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.

Yet Mr Witkoff told Fox News on Sunday Hamas was responsible for renewed fighting after rejecting efforts to move forward with an “acceptable deal”.

“This is on Hamas. The United States stands with the state of Israel,” Mr Witkoff told Fox News. “Hamas had every opportunity to demilitarise, to accept the bridging proposal.”

Talks were supposed to begin last month. It is unclear whether if, or when, they will now take place.

‘Israel has no other choice’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly asserted the primary aim of the war is to destroy Hamas in its entirety.

Mr Netanyahu has also said Israel’s latest military assault hopes to force Hamas to give up the remaining hostages.

It comes as the Israeli protesters took to the streets for a sixth day, angry at Mr Netanyahu’s approach to getting the remaining hostages home, his attempt to remove the head of the Shin Bet domestic security service and now his cabinet’s motion of no confidence in the attorney general.

Mr Netanyahu’s bid to sack Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was a first in Israel’s history, but was blocked by the country’s top court pending an appeal.

The attorney general has frequently clashed with the government over the legality of some of its policies and the agency had also been investigating corruption allegations linking Qatar with Netanyahu’s office.

Mr Netanyahu’s cabinet approved a no-confidence motion against the attorney general on Sunday, in its latest move on officials deemed hostile to the government

Protesters have argued that the right-wing government is undermining key state institutions. Families and supporters of the remaining 59 hostages still held in Gaza have vented their anger at what many see as the government’s abandonment of their loved ones.

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