CAIRO/GAZA: Gaza was plunged into mourning after an Israeli airstrike killed Izz al-Din Al-Beik, a senior Hamas commander in northern Gaza, in an attack that struck an apartment building in Gaza City's Nasr neighborhood, according to Palestinian officials.
The strike came around dawn as Israel continued intensifying military operations across Gaza, adding another deadly chapter to the fragile ceasefire that has struggled to hold.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military targeted Al-Beik because of his alleged role in planning attacks and recruiting militants. Palestinian officials and Hamas also confirmed his death following the strike.
Medics said the attack hit an apartment building in the Nasr neighborhood. Another person later died from injuries suffered in the strike, according to Palestinian health officials.
The killing has further shaken Gaza, where residents are facing continued strikes despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement reached last year. Israel says its military has killed at least 20 Hamas figures this month as it steps up operations against the group.
Hamas has rejected those accusations and has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and undermining efforts to stabilize Gaza. The ceasefire framework calls for the eventual reconstruction of the devastated territory.
But progress has remained limited as negotiators struggle to resolve major disagreements, including Israel's military presence in Gaza and the future of Hamas weapons.
Palestinian authorities say more than 73,000 people have been killed in Israel's military campaign in Gaza since the war began. Palestinian officials also say at least 1,400 people have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect.
The figures released by the opposing sides have not been independently verified, and the conflict has made casualty reporting difficult.
With Al-Beik's death now confirmed, the latest strike is likely to add further pressure to already stalled efforts to maintain the ceasefire and move Gaza toward reconstruction.
