An Israeli air strike on Sunday resulted in the death of Ismail Barhoum, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, according to a source within the Islamist movement. The air strike occurred while Barhoum was receiving medical treatment in Nasser Hospital, located in Khan Yunis. The source, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that Israeli warplanes bombed the operating room where Barhoum was being treated for severe injuries sustained during an earlier air strike on his home last Tuesday.
Photographs from the scene illustrated the four-story hospital building, which appeared largely intact, aside from a section engulfed in flames near a stairwell. This incident marks a significant escalation in Israel’s military campaign against Hamas, as Barhoum’s death makes him the fourth member of the organization’s political bureau to be killed since air strikes resumed following a stalled ceasefire agreement.
Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, confirmed the targeted nature of the attack, identifying Barhoum as a key figure in Hamas. The Israeli military stated that it employed “precise munitions,” claiming extensive intelligence had guided the strike. They asserted that Barhoum was a significant member of the Hamas terrorist organization and was operating within the Nasser Hospital compound at the time of the attack.
In response, the Ministry of Health in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, reported that the surgery building within the Nasser Medical Complex had been targeted, resulting in substantial fire damage and injuring several individuals, including medical personnel. The ministry indicated that the emergency department had also been affected and confirmed one fatality along with multiple injuries.
Earlier on Sunday, Hamas reported that an Israeli air strike the day before had taken the life of another senior political bureau member, Salah al-Bardawil, along with his wife. The group stated that Bardawil, 65, had been killed in a strike on a camp in al-Mawasi. The Israeli military corroborated the targeting of Bardawil, emphasizing his role in directing Hamas’s strategic and military planning in Gaza, asserting that his elimination would significantly weaken the operational capacities of the group.
