Israeli attacks in Gaza on Thursday evening left eight people dead, members of the al-Hawli and the al-Jarou families in the central town of Deir el-Balah. The Israeli military claimed that one of the victims, Muhammad al-Hawli, was a commander in the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.
Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili confirmed that a “senior figure of the Qassam Brigades” had been killed and that the attack underscored Israel’s message that it would be defining phase two of the ceasefire “on its terms”.
The incident came as the United States announced the start of phase two of a so-called ceasefire agreement. A total of 451 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the agreement was announced in early October.
Devastated Gaza
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