By New York Post (World News) | Created at 2025-03-23 22:00:13 | Updated at 2025-03-25 17:56:25
1 day ago
An Israeli airstrike struck the largest hospital in southern Gaza on Saturday night, killing a top Hamas official who was under US sanctions, according to Israeli and Saudi reports.
Ismail Barhoum, 56, a member of Hamas’ Politburo, was killed in the strike that engulfed a section of the Nasser hospital in flames, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya outlet reported.
The strike was carried out following “an extensive intelligence-gathering process,” Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet intelligence agency said in a statement on X, accusing Barhoum and Hamas of hiding inside the Khan Younis hospital.
“Hamas exploits civilian infrastructure while brutally endangering the Gazan population,” the statement continued, “cynically using an active hospital as a shelter for planning and executing murderous terrorist attacks in a direct violation of international law.”
While the IDF did not state who was killed, the Hamas-affiliated Shehab news agency and other Arab-language outlets claimed Barhoum was one of five casualties in the blast.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health condemned the attack on the hospital, which has been overwhelmed with the dead and wounded since Israel began its bombardment campaign following the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack.
More than 50,000 Palestinians have now been killed as a result of the war, said the ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and terrorists.
While Hamas has yet to publicly verify Barhoum’s death, the terrorist group did confirm on Sunday that an Israeli drone strike in Khan Younis killed Salah al-Bardawil, a political leader, and his wife, the Times of Israel reported.
“His blood, that of his wife and martyrs, will remain fueling the battle of liberation and independence. The criminal enemy will not break our determination and will,” Hamas said in a statement.
The airstrike, which hit a shelter in the southern city, killed at least 17 other people, according to the Ministry of Health.
The latest attacks against Hamas’ leaders come after the cease-fire with Israel broke down last week, leading the IDF to resume airstrikes and ground operations in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that future peace talks would only be held under fire, as the embattled premier accused Hamas of breaking off the cease-fire negotiations.
The terror group, which rejected Israel’s proposal to extend the first phase of the cease-fire rather than moving on to phase two, holds 59 hostages, including 24 who are still believed to be alive.
With Post wires
