So, yeah. Another airstrike. Another top Hamas leader gone. This time, it’s Salah al-Bardaweel, a big deal in Hamas’s political wing. Israel kills Hamas leader in Gaza again, and things are heating up—big time.
A Direct Hit in Khan Younis
Israeli forces launched an airstrike in Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza, and boom—Bardaweel is dead. According to Hamas officials, the missile strike also killed his wife. No word yet from Israeli officials, but yeah, it happened.
Locals say it was a heavy strike, and not just on Bardaweel. Reports from health officials in Gaza claim at least 18 people have been killed so far, both in Khan Younis and Rafah. Meanwhile, Israel isn’t slowing down. Heavy bombing resumed this week, basically ending a fragile ceasefire that lasted almost two months.
And why did the ceasefire fall apart? Israel says Hamas rejected a U.S.-backed proposal to extend the truce. Hamas? They’re saying Israel walked away from the original deal—one brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. This deal wasn’t just about stopping the fighting; it also included the release of hostages and prisoners and a bigger plan for ending the war altogether. But, clearly, that’s not happening now.
Who Was Salah al-Bardaweel?
Alright, so this guy—Salah al-Bardaweel—was kind of a big deal in Hamas. He was 66 years old and pretty high up in their political ranks. Not just some random guy. He was close to Yahya Sinwar, another major Hamas leader. And after Sinwar and Rawhi Mushtaha were killed, Bardaweel basically became Hamas’s top political figure. Big shoes to fill. Well, until now.
Born in the Khan Younis refugee camp, he worked his way up and ended up leading Hamas’s parliamentary political wing. He even got reelected to their political bureau in 2021—so yeah, important guy.
When the missile hit, he and his wife were reportedly praying in a tent. That’s when Israel’s airstrike took him out. His death is part of one of the most intense aerial bombardments in southern Gaza since the ceasefire collapsed on Tuesday.
Chaos in Rafah: Bombs, Tanks, and Ambulances Under Fire
Over in Rafah, the situation is just as bad. The Israeli military issued evacuation orders for the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood, telling people to get out after a heavy shelling campaign.
And it’s not just airstrikes—tanks and helicopters are in on the action too. Israeli forces, positioned along the Philadelphi Corridor near the Egypt border, launched a limited ground assault.
Meanwhile, ambulances are struggling to get to the wounded. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society told the BBC that Israeli forces were surrounding their vehicles, trapping paramedics in the chaos. Some medics were injured, and one ambulance crew was completely cut off for hours.
One local, Alaa al-Din Sabah, sent a desperate voice message:
“Bullets are raining down like crazy. A woman was shot—she’s bleeding out—and no one can get to her. I can see a paramedic lying on the ground, screaming.”
Yeah. It’s bad.
The Bigger Picture: A War That Won’t End
This all goes back to October 7, 2023. That’s when Hamas launched a massive cross-border attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s response? Full-scale war.
Since then, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says over 49,500 Palestinians have been killed. Entire neighborhoods are flattened. Infrastructure? Gone. And there’s no end in sight.
With Israel killing Hamas leaders one by one, the power balance is shifting. But does this mean the war is nearing an end? Or just getting worse? Time will tell.
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