Overnight into Sunday, Israeli strikes in the southern Gaza Strip resulted in the deaths of at least 19 Palestinians, including a senior Hamas political figure and numerous women and children.
This development occurred as the Israeli military directed residents to evacuate a section of Rafah, a city bordering Egypt.
The military announced its imminent operation in the Tel Sultan area of Rafah, where Israel initiated a major offensive in May.
Evacuees were instructed to proceed on foot via a designated route to the Mawasi area. The implications of the evacuation order for potential renewed ground operations by Israeli forces remained unclear.
Military spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee stated, “Remaining in camps, tents, or houses in Tel al-Sultan or walking on any other route endangers your lives and the lives of your family members.”
Hamas reported that Salah Bardawil, a member of its political bureau and the Palestinian parliament, was killed in a strike in Mawasi along with his wife. Bardawil was a prominent figure in Hamas’ political wing and frequently addressed the media.
Two hospitals in Gaza reported receiving the bodies of 17 individuals killed in the strikes, including several women and children. This count excluded Bardawil and his wife.
The European Hospital reported that among the deceased were five children and their parents killed in a strike in Khan Younis. Additionally, another family consisting of two girls and their parents were killed in a separate strike. The Kuwaiti Hospital confirmed receiving the bodies of a woman and child killed in another strike.
The Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service stated that Israeli forces were obstructing its ambulances from responding to strikes in Rafah and that several of its medics sustained injuries.
Israel’s ceasefire with Hamas concluded last week when the nation initiated a series of airstrikes, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians.
The ceasefire, which began in January, had paused a 15-month conflict triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack. During the ceasefire, twenty-five Israeli hostages and the remains of eight others were exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Negotiations for the subsequent phase of the truce were scheduled to commence in early February, calling for Hamas to release the remaining 59 hostages – including 35 presumed dead – in exchange for additional Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire, and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
However, these negotiations never materialized, and Israel withdrew from the ceasefire agreement after Hamas rejected Israeli and U.S.-supported proposals for further hostage releases before any discussions on a lasting truce.
In the Oct. 7 attack, Hamas killed approximately 1,200 individuals and abducted 251 hostages. While most captives have been freed through ceasefire agreements or other arrangements, Israeli forces rescued eight alive and recovered numerous bodies.
According to the Hamas-run government’s Gaza Health Ministry, Israel’s offensive has resulted in the deaths of nearly 50,000 Palestinians, a figure that does not differentiate between terrorists and civilians.
Concurrently, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, allies of Hamas, launched another missile at Israel, which the Israeli military reported was intercepted. No casualties or damage were reported.
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