An Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis killed senior Hamas political leader Salah al-Bardaweel on Sunday, according to Hamas officials and the Israeli military. The attack, which residents say marks an escalation in Israel’s ongoing military campaign, also killed Bardaweel’s wife.
Pro-Hamas media confirmed the strike targeted Bardaweel, a member of the group’s political office, while Israeli military sources later verified his death. Taher Al-Nono, media adviser to the Hamas leadership, publicly mourned Bardaweel’s killing in a Facebook post.
After two months of relative calm, Israel intensified its offensive on Gaza, launching an air and ground campaign on Tuesday against Hamas. Explosions echoed across the northern, central, and southern regions of Gaza early Sunday, with witnesses reporting an escalation in the ongoing attacks.
Health authorities stated that at least 18 Palestinians had been killed in airstrikes on Rafah and Khan Younis on Sunday. The Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for residents in Rafah’s Tel al-Sultan neighborhood, declaring it a target in their operation to eliminate “terrorist organizations.”
Hamas claimed that Bardaweel and his wife were praying in their tent shelter when an Israeli missile struck. “His blood, that of his wife and martyrs, will remain fueling the battle of liberation and independence,” the group stated. “The criminal enemy will not break our determination and will.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed that the war’s objective is to dismantle Hamas as both a military and governing entity, with the renewed offensive aimed at pressuring the group to release remaining hostages.
Among those killed in Israeli strikes earlier in the week were Hamas’s de facto government leader Essam Addalees and internal security chief Mahmoud Abu Watfa. Palestinian health officials reported that at least 400 people, mostly women and children, were killed on Tuesday alone.
Hamas has accused Israel of violating the January ceasefire agreement by refusing to initiate final negotiations for a permanent truce and military withdrawal from Gaza. However, the group signaled a willingness to continue talks and is reportedly reviewing proposals from Steve Witkoff, the Middle East envoy for U.S. President Donald Trump.
The resumption of large-scale airstrikes and ground operations has sparked renewed international calls for a ceasefire. Britain, France, and Germany jointly urged Israel to restore access for humanitarian aid, as Israel continues to block the entry of goods into Gaza. Israeli officials accuse Hamas of diverting aid for its own use, a charge the group denies.
The war began after a Hamas-led attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, left approximately 1,200 people dead and around 250 others taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s subsequent military response has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. Thousands more remain unaccounted for beneath the rubble, while large parts of the enclave lie in ruins, with hundreds of thousands of displaced residents living in tents and makeshift shelters.
Source: Swifteradio.com
