Israeli airstrikes in Deir al-Balah kill a senior Hamas commander and six others, including a teenager, amid ceasefire tensions.
CAIRO: A senior commander in Hamas’s armed wing was among seven people killed in Israeli airstrikes on the central Gaza Strip.
A Hamas source said the strikes hit Deir al-Balah on Thursday, killing local commander Mohammed Al-Holy.
Hamas condemned the strikes on the Al-Holy family in a statement that accused Israel of violating the ongoing ceasefire.
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The statement did not mention Mohammed Al-Holy or his role within the group.
Health officials said the six other fatalities included a 16-year-old.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the incident.
Israel and Hamas continue to trade blame for violations of the truce that took effect in October.
The two sides remain far apart on key issues despite the United States announcing the start of the agreement’s second phase on Wednesday.
More than 400 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed since the ceasefire began.
Israel has razed buildings and ordered residents out of more than half of Gaza where its troops remain.
Nearly all of the territory’s more than 2 million people now live in makeshift homes in areas where Israeli troops have withdrawn.
Hamas has reasserted control in those areas.
The United Nations children’s agency said on Tuesday that over 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire began.
It listed victims of drone and quadcopter attacks among the casualties.
Israel launched its operations in Gaza following an attack by Hamas-led fighters in October 2023 that killed 1,200 people.
Israel’s assault has killed 71,000 people, according to health authorities in the strip, and left much of Gaza in ruins. – Reuters
