Israeli strike kills Hamas political leader

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

Hamas said the airstrike on Khan Younis killed Bardaweel, a member of the group's political office, and his wife. Israeli officials had no immediate comment.

The group described Bardaweel's death as an "assassination".

"His blood, that of his wife and martyrs, will remain fueling the battle of liberation and independence," it said in a statement.

After two months of relative calm in the conflict that began more than 17 months ago, Gazans were again fleeing for their lives after Israel effectively abandoned a cease-fire, launching a new all-out air and ground campaign on Tuesday in the enclave.

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 on Sunday, health authorities said.

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

Toll exceeds 50,000

Gaza's Health Ministry said on Sunday that the total number of Palestinians killed in Gaza since the start of the conflict has crossed 50,000 after Israel ended the cease-fire last week with a wave of strikes that killed hundreds.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the aim of the new campaign is to force the group to give up the remaining hostages.

Hamas on Saturday accused the United States of distorting the truth by saying the group had chosen war with Israel by refusing to release hostages.

"The claim that 'Hamas chose war instead of releasing the hostages' is a distortion of the facts," Hamas said in response to the accusation by US National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes on Tuesday.

Hughes had said, "Hamas could have released hostages to extend the cease-fire but instead chose refusal and war."

Meanwhile, the Fatah movement of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas on Saturday to relinquish power in order to safeguard the "existence "of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

"Hamas must show compassion for Gaza, its children, women and men," Fatah spokesman Monther al-Hayek said in a message sent to AFP from Gaza.

He urged Hamas to "step aside from governing and fully recognize that the battle ahead will lead to the end of Palestinians' existence "if it remains in power in Gaza.

Hamas has repeatedly said it is willing to leave power in Gaza once the conflict is over but categorically excludes giving up its weapons.

"We are ready to accept any agreement regarding the administration of Gaza (postwar), and are not interested in participating in it," Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou said on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Israeli artillery and airstrikes hit southern Lebanon on Saturday after Israel said it had intercepted rockets fired from across the border, killing eight people and endangering a shaky truce that ended a yearlong conflict between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah denied responsibility for Saturday's strikes, saying it had "no link" to the rocket launches and that it remained committed to the cease-fire. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Agencies - Xinhua