By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-23 01:36:11 | Updated at 2025-03-24 10:43:13
1 day ago
An Israeli air strike in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis killed Hamas political leader Salah al-Bardaweel on Sunday, Hamas officials said, as residents reported an escalation in the Israeli military campaign that began on Tuesday.
Pro-Hamas media said the air strike killed Bardaweel, who is a member of the group’s political office, and also killed his wife. Israeli officials had no immediate comment.
Taher Al-Nono, the media adviser of the Hamas leadership, mourned Bardaweel’s death in a post on his Facebook page.
After two months of relative calm, Gazans were again fleeing for their lives after Israel effectively abandoned a ceasefire, launching a new all-out air and ground campaign on Tuesday against Gaza’s dominant Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Explosions echoed throughout the north, central, and southern Gaza Strip in the early hours of Sunday, as Israeli planes hit several targets in those areas in what witnesses said was an escalation of the attack that began on Tuesday.
In a statement, Hamas accused Israel of assassinating Bardaweel, whom it said was praying along with his wife when an Israeli missile struck their tent shelter in Khan Younis.
“His blood, that of his wife and martyrs, will remain fuelling the battle of liberation and independence. The criminal enemy will not break our determination and will,” the group said.
