An Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza killed senior Hamas political leader Salah al-Bardaweel and dozens of others on Sunday, the militant group announced, as Palestinian officials reported the death toll from nearly 18 months of war had surpassed 50,000.

According to Reuters, the airstrike targeted Khan Younis, killing Bardaweel, 66, a key figure in Hamas’s political office, along with his wife while they were praying. Israeli officials have not yet commented on the strike.

People carry the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip March 23, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in place since January 2025, has effectively collapsed following Israel’s deadly attack earlier this week, which Palestinian authorities say killed more than 400 people.

Escalation of Strikes Across Gaza

Explosions rocked the north, central, and southern regions of Gaza early Sunday as Israeli airstrikes hit multiple targets. Health officials reported at least 30 people killed in Rafah and Khan Younis, including three municipal workers.

People pray next to the bodies Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip March 23, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled

According to the Palestinian health ministry, the latest Israeli attacks have brought the total number of Palestinians killed since the start of the war to 50,021, with 113,274 wounded. A UN Human Rights Office report from November 2024 condemned the high civilian toll, stating that nearly 70% of verified casualties over a six-month period were women and children.

A boy reacts as people mourn Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip March 23, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled

Hamas Mourns Bardaweel

In a report regarding Bardaweel’s killing, Hamas said “His blood, that of his wife and martyrs, will remain fuelling the battle of liberation and independence.”

Palestinians attend the funeral of Hamas political leader Salah al-Bardaweel and his wife, killed in an Israeli strike on their tent shelter, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip March 23, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled

As Reuters reports, Bardaweel, a father of eight, was a member of the Hamas decision-making body, the political office, and had held posts such as heading the Hamas delegation for indirect truce talks with Israel in 2009 and led the group’s media office in 2005.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the latest attacks after Hamas failed to release hostages or accept U.S.-backed proposals for extending the ceasefire, according to a statement from his office.

Netanyahu has said the new military campaign aims to force Hamas to surrender remaining hostages. Israel launched its initial assault on Gaza after Hamas fighters carried out an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

Hamas, in turn, accused Israel of violating the January ceasefire agreement by refusing to engage in negotiations for a permanent end to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. However, the group said it remains open to talks and is reviewing “bridging” proposals from U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.

Palestinians inspect the damage at the scene where an Israeli strike killed Hamas political leader Salah al-Bardaweel and his wife in their tent shelter, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip March 23, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled

Israeli Forces Advance Deeper Into Gaza

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Israeli forces had encircled the Tel Al-Sultan neighborhood in western Rafah, aiming to dismantle “terror infrastructure” and expand the security zone in southern Gaza.

He stated that Israeli troops were allowing civilians to evacuate through designated safe routes. However, residents described a chaotic situation as dozens of families fled northward toward Khan Younis, some on foot, others transporting their children and belongings on donkey carts and rickshaws.

Abu Khaled, a Rafah resident, spoke to Reuters via a messaging app:

“When the ceasefire began, we returned to put up tents next to the ruins of our homes, dreaming that soon our homes would be rebuilt. Now we are fleeing under fire for maybe the 10th time. When will we ever rest? When will there ever be peace in this city?”

A Palestinian man looks on at the scene where an Israeli strike killed Hamas political leader Salah al-Bardaweel and his wife in their tent shelter, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip March 23, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY