A senior Hamas commander was killed in an air strike in Gaza on Saturday, according to the Israeli military.
Rafa Salama, commander of the Khan Younis Brigade, died in the attack, stated the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The IDF described Salama as one of the “masterminds” behind the 7 October attack and a close associate of Mohammed Deif, the top commander of Hamas’s military wing.
The IDF emphasized that Salama’s death “significantly impedes Hamas’ military capabilities.”
While Israel claimed the attack targeted senior Hamas leaders, Hamas dismissed this as “false” and an attempt to “justify” the attack.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported that Israel’s strike on a camp for displaced people in Khan Younis killed at least 90 Palestinians and injured 289 others on Saturday.
It is unclear whether Deif was killed. The IDF said he was also targeted in the strike.
Deif has been one of Israel’s most wanted men for decades, accused by Israeli authorities of being responsible for numerous civilian and soldier deaths.
In a joint statement, the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) reported Salama’s “elimination,” noting he joined Hamas in the early 1990s and was appointed commander of the Khan Younis Brigade under the command of Mohammed Sinwar.
Residents said they witnessed at least five “big warplanes bombing in the middle of Al Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis”.
Most of the injured were sent to Nasser hospital.
However, according to officials and medics, the facility is “no longer able to function” as doctors are “overwhelmed with large numbers of casualties”.
Speaking to Newshour on the BBC World Service, Dr. Mohammed Abu Rayya, working at a hospital treating victims of the attack, reported that most of the injured had multiple shrapnel wounds.
He described the scene as “hell,” noting that many of the casualties were civilians, including women and children.
A Hamas official, cited by Reuters, condemned the attack as a “grave escalation,” indicating that Israel was not interested in pursuing a ceasefire agreement.
The BBC understands that ceasefire negotiations held in Qatar and Egypt ended unsuccessfully on Friday.
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