Israel Strikes Hamas Official in Targeted Attack

In a targeted military operation, Israeli forces have killed Hamas official Ismail Barhoum during an attack on a hospital in the Gaza Strip. The incident occurred on Sunday evening and has been confirmed by the militant organization, which also reported the deaths of two other individuals. The Israeli military stated that precision munitions were used in the strike to minimize collateral damage.

According to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, Barhoum was the intended target of the assault on the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. He accused Hamas of exploiting civilian infrastructure and endangering the lives of the Gazan population. Barhoum was reportedly receiving medical care at the time of the attack, as stated by a Hamas representative. The health authority controlled by Hamas reported that the strike resulted in two fatalities and additional injuries, including among medical personnel.

This recent operation marks a continuation of Israeli military actions in the region, with four Hamas officials reportedly eliminated since the resumption of airstrikes. Earlier on the same day, Hamas acknowledged the death of Salah al-Bardawil, another member of its political bureau, in a separate Israeli strike in Al-Mawasi, located in southern Gaza. Israeli sources indicated that al-Bardawil played a key role in the strategic and military planning of Hamas operations within the Gaza Strip. Officials suggested that his death would further diminish Hamas's military and political capabilities.

Following a brief period of ceasefire, Israel resumed extensive airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza on Tuesday. This escalation comes after a lull in hostilities that had been in place since January 19. The Israeli military also announced the initiation of a new ground operation in the Palestinian territory, aiming to intensify pressure on Hamas to release hostages it continues to hold. According to reports from the Hamas-controlled health ministry, which cannot be independently verified, at least 673 individuals have died as a result of Israeli attacks in Gaza since the resumption of hostilities, bringing the total death toll since the outbreak of conflict in October 2023 to 50,021.

Both Israel and the United States have attributed the renewed fighting to Hamas, claiming that these actions are in response to the group's ongoing refusal to free hostages taken during its unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Hamas has denied these allegations.