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An Israeli airstrike has killed three sons of Hamas’s prime political chief in an assault on high-profile targets in Gaza.
Hamas mentioned 4 of Ismail Haniyeh’s grandchildren had been additionally killed within the strike.
The Israeli navy mentioned two of his sons, Mohammed and Hazem, had been Hamas navy operatives, whereas the third, Amir, was a cell commander.
They’re among the many highest-profile targets to be killed within the struggle up to now.
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The killings threaten to undermine internationally mediated ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.
Haniyeh accused Israel of performing in “the spirit of revenge and homicide” and mentioned Hamas wouldn’t cave to stress following the strike on his household.
“The enemy believes that by concentrating on the households of the leaders, it should push them to surrender the calls for of our folks,” he informed Al Jazeera TV.
“Anybody who believes that concentrating on my sons will push Hamas to alter its place is delusional.”
Footage confirmed the second he acquired the information whereas visiting wounded Palestinians at a hospital in Qatar, the place he lives in exile.
He nods, appears down on the floor, and says: “God relaxation their souls.”
Hamas mentioned Haniyeh’s sons had been killed within the Shati refugee camp in Gaza Metropolis, the place Haniyeh is initially from.
It additionally mentioned three of his granddaughters and a grandson had been killed, however didn’t disclose their ages.
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Hamas defeated, Israeli Warfare Cupboard minister claims
It comes after Israeli Warfare Cupboard minister Benny Gantz claimed Hamas had been defeated militarily, although he added Israel will battle the group for years to return.
“From a navy viewpoint, Hamas is defeated. Its fighters are eradicated or in hiding” and its capabilities “crippled”, Mr Gantz mentioned.
However he added: “Combating towards Hamas will take time. Boys who at the moment are in center college will nonetheless battle within the Gaza Strip.”
Mr Gantz reiterated the Israeli authorities’s dedication to invade the southern metropolis of Rafah – the place greater than half the territory’s 2.3 million folks have fled – a day after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed the assault would go forward and declared: “There’s a date.”
A despondent Eid al-Fitr
The strike on Haniyeh’s kids got here as Palestinians marked a despondent Eid al-Fitr vacation, which ends the Ramadan fasting month, by visiting the graves of their family members killed within the struggle.
Greater than 33,400 Palestinians have been killed within the preventing, in keeping with Gaza’s Hamas-run well being ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants however says a lot of the lifeless are ladies and kids.
The struggle erupted after Hamas killed 1,200 folks in southern Israel in a cross-border rampage on 7 October.
Israel says it has killed some 12,000 militants, with out offering proof, and misplaced greater than 600 troopers.
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