Midnight strikes: Israel kills Hamas leader, civilians
Shafaq News/ Israeli airstrikes on southern Gaza Strip overnight killed at least 19 Palestinians, including a senior Hamas political leader, Palestinian and Israeli media reported on Sunday.
The strikes hit multiple locations in Khan Younis and Rafah, with the European and Kuwaiti hospitals confirming the arrival of at least 17 bodies, including women and children. One family of seven, including five children, was killed in a strike on Khan Younis, according to medical sources.
Hamas confirmed al-Bardawil and his wife were killed in a strike on their tent in al-Mawasi area. In a statement, the group condemned the killing as a 'targeted assassination,' calling him a prominent political figure.
استشهد أثناء صلاة قيام الليل .. حـــماس تنعى عضو مكتبها السياسي صلاح البردويل شهــيدًا في خانيونستعرف على أبرز محطات حياته: https://t.co/MPhf3aDI9U
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) March 23, 2025
The Israeli military has not commented directly on al-Bardawil's killing but continues to intensify operations in southern Gaza following the collapse of a ceasefire with Hamas six days ago. Since then, more than 600 Palestinians have been killed, one-third of them children, according to local health authorities.
Israeli forces also struck an ambulance operated by the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) north of Rafah. PRCS reported injuries among paramedics and said communication had been lost with one of its trapped teams.
🚨Urgent: Occupation forces are besieging several Palestine Red Crescent ambulances while they were responding to an attack on Al-Hashashin area in #Rafah. - Several PRCS EMTs have been injured, and contact has been lost with the team, which has been trapped for several hours.…
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) March 23, 2025
In addition, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee urged residents of Tel as-Sultan in Rafah to evacuate on foot to al-Mawasi, declaring the area a combat zone and banning vehicle movement.
#عاجل ‼️ انذار عاجل الى سكان قطاع غزة المتواجدين في منطقة تل السلطان في رفح ⭕️بدأ جيش الدفاع هجوماً لضرب المنظمات الإرهابية حيث تعتبر المنطقة التي تتواجدون فيها منطقة قتال خطيرة.⭕️شارع غوش قطيف يعتبر مسارًا إنسانيًا لاستخدامكم من أجل الانتقال الى منطقة المواصي. 🔴نحذركم:… pic.twitter.com/7uY6g8GBEV
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) March 23, 2025
A November report by Human Rights Watch stated that forced displacement in Gaza could amount to a war crime, citing statements from Israeli officials supporting population transfers.
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