Israeli officials warn major Gaza operation may be inevitable

On a recent morning in Gaza City's Nasr neighbourhood, an Israeli air strike killed Izz al-Din Al-Beik, the head of Hamas' armed wing in the northern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian and Israeli officials. The target of the strike was identified as Al-Beik, who Israeli officials accused of planning attacks and recruiting militants.

Health officials reported that a second person also died from injuries sustained during the attack. The Israeli military claimed a total of 20 Hamas figures, including some senior commanders involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks and those who held Israeli hostages, were killed in recent weeks. This month's strikes follow an Israeli military assertion that Hamas has been rearming and launching attacks in violation of an October ceasefire.

The Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the target's death, while Hamas released a statement acknowledging Al-Beik's demise. An apartment building in Gaza City was struck at dawn, according to medics. Israel maintains that Hamas has been in violation of the ceasefire by rearming and attacking, while Hamas denies these claims.

The US-brokered ceasefire, which aimed for Gaza's eventual reconstruction, has seen little progress due to disagreements on disarmament terms for Hamas and Israel's troop withdrawal. Since the ceasefire's implementation, over 1,400 Palestinians have died in Gaza, as per the territory's health officials, while the Israeli military reports four soldiers have been killed.

Palestinian authorities estimate that more than 73,000 people have been killed in Israel's assault on Gaza, following the October 2023 attacks led by Hamas fighters that claimed around 1,200 lives in southern Israel.