The Israeli navy introduced what it known as a exact operation to kill members of Hamas in Gaza on Thursday, a day after a strike there killed family of one of many group’s most senior leaders.
Ismail Haniyeh, who leads the political wing of Hamas from exile, stated three of his sons had been killed within the Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza on Wednesday. Hamas-affiliated media reported that three of Mr. Haniyeh’s grandchildren additionally had been killed within the assault.
On Thursday, Israel’s navy stated that its forces had carried out a “exact, intelligence-based operation” in central Gaza in a single day with fighter jets and floor troops to “eradicate terrorist operatives and strike terrorist infrastructure.”
It was not instantly clear whether or not the operation was associated to the strike a day earlier in opposition to Mr. Haniyeh’s sons, who the Israeli navy stated had been “on their method to perform terrorist actions in central Gaza.” It didn’t present additional particulars, and the navy’s claims couldn’t be verified.
The Israeli navy stated that the three Haniyeh sons it killed — Amir, Mohammad and Hazem — had been lively in Hamas’s navy operations, Amir as a cell commander and his brothers as lower-level operatives. One of many brothers was additionally concerned in holding hostages, the Israeli navy stated, with out specifying which one.
The strike got here as worldwide negotiators labored to dealer a cease-fire in Gaza and to safe the discharge of hostages held within the enclave. These talks have stalled over disagreements in regards to the particulars, with a senior Hamas official saying Wednesday that the group didn’t have 40 residing hostages who met the standards for an trade beneath the proposal being mentioned.
Whereas Mr. Haniyeh is considered one of Hamas’s most senior officers, analysts stated that his sons had been much less integral to the operation — and that their killings appeared primarily aimed toward sending a message to the group’s management amid cease-fire negotiations.
“His son’s names will not be normally floated round once you speak about seniority in Hamas, whether or not it’s the political or navy wing,” stated Tahani Mustafa, a senior analyst on the Worldwide Disaster Group, a assume tank.
Ms. Mustafa stated that the timing of the strike made it appear to be an effort to derail the talks.
However Bilal Saab, an affiliate fellow within the Center East and North Africa program at Chatham Home, stated the strike could have been meant to placate a home viewers after six months of battle, or to offer Israel leverage within the talks.
“It’s a political win for Israel greater than anything,” Mr. Saab stated, including: “This was successful meant to strain Hamas to make concessions on the hostage negotiations.”
Mr. Haniyeh stated Wednesday that Israel was “delusional if it thinks that by killing my kids, we’ll change our positions” in negotiations.
Lively combating in Gaza has ebbed to its lowest level since November. Israel withdrew troops from southern Gaza over the weekend, however stated the navy would keep in different elements of Gaza to protect its “freedom of motion and its means to conduct exact intelligence-based operations.”
The navy’s acknowledged emphasis on precision comes as worldwide criticism of the battle in Gaza intensifies over the rising Palestinian demise toll and warnings of famine.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has stated {that a} date has been set for a floor invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, an operation U.S. officers have warned could be catastrophic for civilians. Some analysts have prompt that his threats are bluster or makes an attempt at gaining leverage within the cease-fire negotiations.
The Biden administration has urged Mr. Netanyahu to shelve the invasion plans and deal with “various approaches that might goal the important thing components of Hamas.”
