Israel Strikes Hamas Leader in Hospital as Fighting Spreads in Gaza and Lebanon
Israel said Sunday it killed a senior Hamas official inside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis during a targeted strike carried out with the Shin Bet security agency.
The military identified the man as Ismail Barhoum, a member of Hamas’ political bureau and head of the group’s financial operations in Gaza. The strike followed an intelligence operation and the use of precise munitions, according to an official statement.
Barhoum’s death marks another high-profile casualty in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. His killing came after Israeli airstrikes overnight left at least 19 Palestinians dead, including senior Hamas political figure Salah Bardawil and his wife.
Hamas confirmed that Bardawil, a member of the Palestinian parliament and longtime spokesperson for the group’s political wing, was killed alongside his wife in a strike in Masawi.
Meanwhile, two hospitals in southern Gaza reported receiving 17 bodies, excluding Bardawil and his wife. The European Hospital said that a strike in Khan Younis killed five children and their parents, while a separate attack claimed the lives of two girls and their parents. The Kuwaiti Hospital also confirmed receiving the bodies of a woman and child killed in another strike.
Israel’s military operations in Gaza resumed last week after a ceasefire with Hamas collapsed. During the ceasefire, Hamas released 25 hostages and the bodies of eight others. Talks were expected to continue for the release of 59 remaining hostages, but progress stopped after fighting resumed.
Meanwhile, in Lebanon, Israeli forces launched a wave of air and artillery strikes Saturday in response to rockets allegedly fired by Hezbollah from across the border. Lebanon’s government reported that at least seven people, including two children, were killed, while several others were injured in strikes targeting towns such as Touline, Tyre, Qlaileh, and Zibqin.
Hezbollah denied launching the rockets and reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire.
Under the November ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah was prohibited from possessing weapons in southern Lebanon, while Israeli ground troops were to withdraw, and the Lebanese army was to assume control of the area. The deal also stipulates that Lebanon’s government is responsible for dismantling all military infrastructure and seizing unauthorized weapons.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned that the strikes risk pulling the country into a new war. “All security and military measures must be taken to show that Lebanon decides on matters of war and peace,” he stated.
Meanwhile, President Joseph Aoun ordered the Lebanese army to address “any violation” that could threaten Lebanon’s stability. The army later reported discovering and dismantling three “primitive rocket launchers” in the south.
