Hamas says Israeli airstrike killed Hamas political leader in Khan Younis

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Mar 22, 2025 10:05 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

An Israeli airstrike successful confederate Gaza's Khan Younis killed Hamas governmental person Salah al-Bardaweel connected Sunday, Hamas officials said, arsenic residents reported an escalation successful the Israeli subject run that began connected Tuesday.

Pro-Hamas media said the airstrike killed Bardaweel, who is simply a subordinate of the group's governmental office, arsenic good arsenic his wife. Israeli officials had nary contiguous comment.

Taher Al-Nono, the media adviser of the Hamas leadership, mourned Bardaweel's decease successful a station connected his Facebook page.

After 2 months of comparative calm, Gazans were again fleeing for their lives aft Israel efficaciously abandoned a ceasefire, launching an all-out aerial and crushed run connected Tuesday against Gaza's ascendant Palestinian militant group, Hamas.

Explosions echoed passim the north, central and confederate Gaza Strip successful the aboriginal hours of Sunday, arsenic Israeli planes deed respective targets successful what witnesses said was an escalation of the onslaught that began connected Tuesday.

In a statement, Hamas accused Israel of assassinating Bardaweel, whom it said was praying on with his wife when an Israeli rocket struck their structure structure successful Khan Younis.

"His blood, that of his woman and martyrs, volition stay fuelling the conflict of liberation and independence. The transgression force volition not interruption our determination and will," said the group.

WATCH | Death toll rises amid Israeli strikes, crushed operations successful Gaza: 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said the main purpose of the warfare is to destruct Hamas arsenic a subject and governing entity. He has said the purpose of the caller run is to unit the radical to springiness up remaining hostages.

Hamas's de facto authorities head, Essam Addalees, and its interior information chief, Mahmoud Abu Watfa, were among respective officials killed by Israeli strikes connected Tuesday.

Palestinian wellness officials said astatine slightest 400 people, much than fractional of them women and children, were killed connected Tuesday.

Palestinian medics said an Israeli level bombed a location successful the metropolis of Rafah successful the confederate Gaza Strip, wounding respective people.

Hamas has accused Israel of breaking the presumption of the January ceasefire statement by refusing to statesman negotiations for a last extremity to the warfare and a withdrawal of its troops from Gaza.

But Hamas has said it is inactive consenting to negociate and was studying "bridging" proposals brought distant by Steve Witkoff, mideast envoy for U.S. President Donald Trump.

The instrumentality to the airstrikes and crushed operations that person devastated Gaza has drawn calls for a ceasefire from Arab and European countries. Britain, France and Germany issued a associated connection calling connected Israel to reconstruct entree for humanitarian aid.

Israel has blocked the introduction of goods into Gaza. Ophir Falk, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's overseas argumentation adviser, has accused Hamas of taking assistance for its ain use, a complaint Hamas has antecedently denied.

The warfare was sparked aft a Hamas-led onslaught connected Oct. 7, 2023, killed astir 1,200 radical and took immoderate 250 others captive, according to Israeli tallies. 

Israel responded with a subject run successful which much than 49,000 Palestinians person been killed, according to Gaza health officials. Thousands much are feared inactive buried and uncounted nether the rubble, and the attacks person devastated overmuch of the coastal enclave, leaving hundreds of thousands of radical successful tents and makeshift shelters.