Senior Hamas leader killed in Israeli Airstrike

Israel ramped up its attacks across the Gaza Strip, killing a senior Hamas leader in a predawn strike in southern Gaza along with others.

Israel killed senior Hamas commander Salah al-Bardawil and his spouse on Sunday while they prayed in their tent shelter in Khan Younis.

At least 634 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel’s activities since it broke the ceasefire agreement on Tuesday, and the Palestinian group has blamed Israel for killing him.

Israel essentially ended the first phase of a ceasefire that lasted almost two months earlier this week when it began heavy bombardment on Gaza. It accused Hamas of turning down a fresh US proposal to prolong the truce.

A spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society shared with the BBC that Israeli forces were surrounding several of their ambulances as they tried to reach a struck area in Rafah.

The spokesperson also mentioned that Israeli forces injured several paramedics and cut off contact with one of the teams trapped for hours. Meanwhile, the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for residents in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood in western Rafah following intense shelling and a limited ground assault.

Israel resumes heavy strikes on Gaza

Last Monday, Israel resumed bombarding Gaza, which has been suffering due to an aid blockade. Additionally, it resumed a ground offensive on Wednesday, bringing troops back to regions they had left behind during the ceasefire, which lasted for about two months. Since it started on January 19, Israeli forces have already broken the truce several times.

Israeli military forces have killed nearly 50,000 people since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, following deadly attacks on Israel led by Hamas. In southern Israel, Israeli forces killed at least 1,139 people and captured about 250, most of whom have since been released through negotiations. However, the majority have since been freed as a result of negotiations.

The latest military offensive, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is intended to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages. But Hamas criticized Netanyahu for violating the truce agreement by refusing to negotiate a peaceful conclusion to the war and withdrawing its troops from Gaza, and it accused Israel of sacrificing the detainees in the attacks.

Israel launches another strike on Lebanon

On Saturday evening, fresh Israeli airstrikes targeted eastern and southern Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of seven people and leaving 40 others injured.

The Israeli military stated it hit a Hezbollah command center and rocket launchers in southern Lebanon. While Hezbollah and Palestinian factions operate in the area, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Israeli Air Force launched a second round of strikes, targeting what they described as Hezbollah command centers, infrastructure, militants, rocket launchers, and a weapons storage facility.

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