Israeli airstrike kills Hamas political leader, death toll exceeds 50,000

An Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza killed Hamas political leader Salah al-Bardaweel on Sunday, officials of the group said, as residents reported an escalation in Israel's six-day-old military campaign.

Pro-Hamas media said the airstrike on Khan Younis killed Bardaweel, a member of the Palestinian group's political office, and 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 in the war that began more than 17 months ago, Gazans were again fleeing for their lives after Israel effectively abandoned a ceasefire, launching a new all-out air and ground campaign on Tuesday.

Explosions echoed throughout the north, central and southern Gaza Strip early on Sunday, as Israeli planes hit several targets in those areas in what witnesses said was an escalation of the attack that began on Tuesday.

At least 30 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli strikes on Rafah and Khan Younis so far on Sunday, health authorities said. Those killed included three municipal employees, medics said.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an evacuation warning on X for residents in the Tel Al-Sultan neighbourhood in western Rafah in the south of the strip, saying the military was launching an onslaught there to eradicate "terrorist organizations".

In a statement, Hamas accused Israel of assassinating Bardaweel, who 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," said the group.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said the main aim of the war is to destroy Hamas as a military and governing entity. He has said the aim of the new campaign is to force the group to give up the remaining hostages.

Hamas' de facto government head Essam Addalees and internal security chief Mahmoud Abu Watfa were among those killed by Israeli strikes on Tuesday, in addition to several other officials.

Palestinian health officials said at least 400 people, more than half of them women and children, were killed on Tuesday.

Palestinian medics said an Israeli plane bombed a house in Rafah, wounding several people.

Hamas has accused Israel of breaking the terms of the January ceasefire agreement by refusing to begin negotiations for an end to the war and a withdrawal of its troops from Gaza. But Hamas has said it is still willing to negotiate and was studying "bridging" proposals from U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff.

The return to the air strikes and ground operations that have devastated Gaza has drawn calls for a ceasefire from Arab and European countries. Britain, France and Germany issued a joint statement calling on Israel to restore access for humanitarian aid.

Israel has blocked the entry of goods into Gaza and Netanyahu's foreign policy adviser, Ophir Falk, accused Hamas of taking aid for its own use, a charge Hamas has previously denied.

Israel launched its campaign in Gaza after a Hamas attack on Israeli communities around the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023 that killed some 1,200 people, according to an Israeli tally, and saw 251 abducted as hostages.

The Israeli campaign has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health authorities, and devastated much of the coastal enclave, leaving hundreds of thousands of people in tents and makeshift shelters.