Air strike kills senior Hamas official in Gaza

An Israeli air strike in the southern city of Khan Younis in Gaza has killed top Hamas political leader Salah al-Bardaweel, a Hamas official told the BBC early on Sunday.

Locals say the air strike killed both Bardaweel, a member of the group’s political office, and his wife.

Israeli officials had no immediate comment.

Israel’s military resumed significant strikes on Gaza on Tuesday, blaming Hamas for refusing to extend the first phase of a ceasefire that came into effect on 19 January and lasted almost two months.

Hamas rejected the Israeli accusations and, in turn, accused Israel of violating the agreement that was brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the US.

An official in the Hamas-run health ministry said 32 Palestinians had been killed over the past 24 hours across various parts of the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Hamas said Bardaweel had been praying along with his wife when an Israeli missile struck their tent.

Previously a spokesperson for Hamas, Bardaweel often made appearances on local media.

He is one of around 10 Hamas officials reported to have been killed since Israel restarted military operations in Gaza on Tuesday.

The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.

More than 49,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since then, the Hamas-run health ministry says, and there is large-scale destruction to homes and infrastructure in the Strip.