A senior Hamas commander, Imad al-Salem, was killed in an ‘Israeli’ military strike on a building in Gaza City on Wednesday, Hebrew media outlet Walla reported. Salem, who headed Hamas’s Zeitoun Battalion and served as deputy commander of the Gaza City Brigade, was among several casualties in a fresh escalation that has strained the already fragile cease-fire.
According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, 22 Palestinians were killed in separate strikes across the Gaza Strip the same day. The agency revised an earlier toll of 11, reporting 12 deaths in northern Gaza, including the Gaza City area, and 10 more around Khan Younis in the south.
The ‘Israeli’ military claimed that its strikes were in response to Hamas fighters allegedly opening fire near areas where its forces were operating in Khan Younis.
Renewed violence tests fragile truce
The latest flare-up comes at a sensitive moment for the cease-fire, which has remained precarious since taking effect on 10 October. Mediated by the United States, the truce was linked to the return of 48 ‘Israeli’ captives—both living and deceased.
Although only the remains of three captives are believed to remain in Gaza, negotiations on Phase Two of the cease-fire plan have stalled. The proposal, put forward by President Donald Trump, outlines a multi-stage process including:
- demilitarisation of Hamas
- creation of a transitional authority
- deployment of an international stabilisation force
Diplomatic efforts have so far failed to bridge gaps between the involved parties, keeping the conflict zone on edge.
Conclusion
With fresh casualties reported on both sides of the conflict divide, the latest strikes underscore the volatility surrounding the cease-fire. As pressure builds on mediators to advance the next phase of the plan, the humanitarian toll in Gaza continues to mount.