CAIRO: Two Israeli airstrikes in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Thursday killed seven individuals, including a senior member of Hamas’ armed wing, according to a Hamas source. Requests for comment on the incident were not immediately answered by the Israeli military. Mohammed Al-Holy, a local commander in the group’s armed wing in Deir Al-Balah, was among the dead, according to the Hamas source.
In a statement, Hamas denounced the attacks on the Al-Holy family, but it made no mention of Mohammed or his position inside the organization. It charged Israel with trying to rekindle the conflict and breaking the ceasefire agreement that has been in effect since October.
Despite the United States declaring the start of the second phase of the agreement on Wednesday, Israel and Hamas have traded blame over ceasefire violations and are still far apart on important topics. Since the truce went into force in October, over 400 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have reportedly been murdered.
In more than half of Gaza, where its troops are still stationed, Israel has destroyed structures and issued an evacuation order. In a small area where Hamas has reestablished control and Israeli troops have retreated, nearly all of the more than 2 million people living there now reside in destroyed houses or improvised homes.
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