An Israeli airstrike on Sunday in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, resulted in the death of Salah al-Bardaweel, a senior Hamas political leader, according to Hamas officials. This attack marks a significant escalation in the ongoing Israeli military campaign against Hamas, which resumed with intense airstrikes on Tuesday.
Pro-Hamas media reported that the airstrike also claimed the life of Bardaweel’s wife. The Israeli government has yet to release a statement regarding the incident. In response to his death, Taher Al-Nono, a media advisor for the Hamas leadership, expressed his condolences on Facebook, mourning the loss of Bardaweel.
The airstrike follows two months of relative calm, during which Gazans had hoped for peace after a ceasefire agreement. However, the recent offensive, which includes both air and ground assaults, has resulted in widespread devastation. Explosions were reported across northern, central, and southern Gaza on Sunday, signaling a marked escalation in the Israeli air campaign.
Hamas condemned the Israeli attack, calling Bardaweel’s death an assassination. The group stated that Bardaweel and his wife were praying together when the missile hit their shelter in Khan Younis. Hamas vowed that their deaths would only strengthen their resolve to continue fighting for Palestinian liberation and independence.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the primary goal of the military operation is to dismantle Hamas as both a military and governing force. The current campaign also seeks to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli communities, which left nearly 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 people abducted.
This week’s renewed airstrikes have already claimed the lives of several Hamas officials, including Essam Addalees, the head of Hamas’ de facto government, and Mahmoud Abu Watfa, the group’s internal security chief. Palestinian health officials reported that more than 400 people were killed in the strikes on Tuesday, with over half of the casualties being women and children.
The violence has reignited tensions, with calls from Arab and European nations for an immediate ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid access to Gaza. Britain, France, and Germany issued a joint statement urging Israel to allow aid into Gaza, though Israel has restricted goods from entering, citing concerns over Hamas exploiting the supplies.
Hamas, however, has accused Israel of breaching the terms of the ceasefire agreement by failing to initiate peace talks and negotiate the final end to the war. Despite the escalating violence, Hamas has expressed its willingness to continue negotiations and is reviewing proposals for a potential resolution.
The conflict, which began with the Hamas attack on Israeli communities in October 2023, has already resulted in the deaths of over 49,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. Gaza has been left in ruins, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced and living in temporary shelters.
