Hamas officials said an Israeli air strike in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza killed Hamas political leader Salah Bardavir on Sunday, and Hamas officials said residents reported an escalation of Israeli military movement that began on Tuesday.
Pro-Hamas Media said the air strikes killed members of the group’s political office and his wife Bardaweel. Israeli officials did not immediately comment.
Taher al-Nono, a media adviser to the Hamas leader, mourned Bardaweel’s death in an article on his Facebook page.
After two months of relative calm, the Gazans once again fled their lives after Israel effectively abandoned the ceasefire, facing the air and ground movement against Gaza’s main Palestinian militant group Hamas on Tuesday.
Israeli planes encountered several targets early on Sunday morning, and witnesses said the escalation of the attack began on Tuesday, with explosions reverberating throughout the northern, central and southern Gaza Strip.
Hamas accused Israel of assassinating Badavile in a statement, and he said he was praying with his wife when Israeli missiles attacked their tent shelter in Khan Younis.
“The blood of his wife and the martyrs will continue to fuel the war of liberation and independence. The criminal enemy will not break our determination and will,” the group said.
Israel launched new air strikes on Gaza targets, while ground forces began new ground operations. Hamas responded by launching rockets in Tel Aviv.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly stated that the main purpose of the war was to destroy Hamas into a military and administrative entity. The purpose of the new campaign is to force the group to abandon the remaining hostages, he said.
Hamas’ de facto government head Essam Addales and his internal security head Mahmoud Abu Watfa were killed on Tuesday by Israeli strike.
Palestinian health officials said there were at least 400 people on Tuesday, more than half of them were women and children.
Palestinian medical staff said an Israeli plane bombed a house in Rafa, the city of southern Gaza Strip, injured several people.
Hamas accused Israel of refusing to start negotiations to fight for the final end of the war and evacuate from Gaza in order to violate the terms of the January ceasefire agreement.
But Hamas said it is still willing to negotiate and is studying a “bridge” proposal proposed by Steve Witkoff, the Middle East envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Gaza’s air strikes and ground operations return to Gaza called for a ceasefire from Arab and European countries. The UK, France and Germany issued a joint statement calling on Israel to restore access to humanitarian aid.
Israel prevented the entry of goods into Gaza. Ophir Falk, a foreign policy adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accused Hamas of citing his use, which Hamas had previously denied.
According to Israel Tales, the war was triggered after an attack led by Hamas on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and capturing about 250 people.
According to Gaza health officials, Israel has carried out a military campaign in which more than 49,000 Palestinians were killed. There are still thousands of people who fear still being buried and broken, the attacks destroyed most of the coastal enclaves, leaving hundreds of thousands in tents and temporary shelters.
