Israel Announces Killing of Hamas Financial Official in Gaza Strike

Health officials in Gaza said at least two Palestinians were killed in an air strike on the territory on Wednesday, while Israel said the operation had targeted a Hamas financial official.

According to paramedics, the two men, identified as Osama Abu Khater and Mohammed Abu Alwan, were killed when an Israeli air strike targeted a vehicle in western Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

Two other people were injured in the attack, the paramedics added.

In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military had killed Mohammed Abu Alwan in Khan Younis.

They described him as a senior Hamas financial official.

“We will not allow Hamas to rebuild its strength, and we will not stop until Hamas is removed from Gaza,” the joint statement said.

Palestinian authorities say more than 73,000 people have been killed in the war launched by Israel against Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023.

According to Israeli figures, the Hamas-led assault killed approximately 1,200 people in southern Israel.

The US-brokered ceasefire reached last year provides for the eventual reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

However, little progress has been made because negotiators have failed to reach an agreement on the terms of Hamas’s disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal. Israel has also continued to carry out air strikes.

Health officials in Gaza say at least 1,400 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in the territory since the ceasefire took effect.

The Israeli military, meanwhile, says four of its soldiers have been killed during the same period.

Israel and Hamas accuse each other of responsibility for violating the ceasefire agreement.