Yahya Sinwar was among more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners released in 2011 by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of an exchange for an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas in a cross-border raid.
The Israeli military said the strike targeted dozens of Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants who had gathered at the school. The strike hit the Abu Hussein school in Jabaliya, an urban refugee camp in northern Gaza.
The Israeli military published new evacuation orders on Saturday to two neighbourhoods on the northern edge of Gaza City, as Palestinian and UN officials said no place was safe. Israel's ongoing offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon injured a third UN peacekeeper, prompting strong condemnation.
The Israeli military on Thursday said it killed senior Hamas leader Rawhi Mushtaha, the head of the Hamas government in Gaza. Hamas has not confirmed the deaths of the senior officials, which the IDF claims is because the "group wants to prevent loss of morale and functioning of terror operatives".
The Israeli military claimed to target Hamas militants operating from within a command-and-control centre in the camp, which was denied by Hamas. Meanwhile, India has reiterated support for a ceasefire "as soon as possible" in Gaza owing to the mounting death and destruction.
Israel is witnessing massive protests and a general strike after the deaths of six Israeli hostages as pressure builds on Netanyahu over a ceasefire deal. US President Joe Biden has said the Israeli PM is not doing enough to secure a ceasefire and hostage deal.
Israel and Hamas agreed to a three-day pause in different areas of the Gaza Strip as the WHO will begin its polio vaccination campaign on September 1. This came after a 10-month-old baby was infected with a mutated strain of the virus, the first confirmed case in 25 years.
Around 108 hostages still remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza, a third of them believed to be dead as the war between Israel and Hamas is going to enter its 12th month. Qaid Farhan Alkadi, 52, is the eighth hostage who has come back from Gaza alive after being abducted on October 7.
The hostages were identified as Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Abraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Chaim Peri. The recovery of their bodies came as the United States is trying to broker a ceasefire deal with Secretary of State Blinken currently in Egypt.
More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ten-month war Hamas in the besieged Gaza Strip, triggered by Hamas' attack on October 7, killing 1,200 people in Israel. Humanitarian aid deliveries have reduced since Israel's seizure of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
Mohammed Deif is the alleged mastermind of the October 7 attacks on Israel that killed over 1,200 people when he launched 'Operation Al-Aqsa Storm'. He has been accused of numerous suicide bombings and has evaded several assassination attempts.
Israel's military said it had targeted a Hamas command and control centre in the school compound on Saturday. Israel has accused Hamas of operating from densely populated areas, schools and hospitals as cover, something that the terrorist group has denied.
The order came after reports of rocket fire emerging from the area as well as military forces battling Palestinian militants in Khan Younis. Israeli officials estimate that some 14,000 fighters from militant groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been killed or taken prisoner.
Deif is considered to be the chief architect of the Hamas-led October 7 attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and was believed to be hiding in a tunnel in Al-Mawasi near Khan Younis. Meanwhile, a senior Hamas official said the strike showed that Israel was not interested in a ceasefire deal.
Israeli tanks have further pushed into Gaza City and forced Palestinians to flee from eastern and central neighbourhoods. Hamas has warned that the renewed Israeli offensive in the besieged territory could bring the ongoing ceasefire talks "back to square one".
The development came as Israeli negotiators are set to resume peace talks in Qatar next week on a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal. More than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in retaliation for the Hamas-led October 7 attack that killed 1,200.
Haniyeh's sister and nine members of his extended family were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City on Tuesday. Haniyeh resides in Qatar and is the face of Hamas' international diplomacy as the war continues amid stalled ceasefire talks.
Hani al-Jaafarawi, the director of Gaza's Ambulance and Emergency Department was killed in an airstrike in a medical clinic in Gaza City. The Israeli military said the strike targeted Hamas commander Mohammed Salah, who was responsible for developing the weaponry.
Netanyahu's rival Benny Gantz left the Cabinet earlier this month, leaving him more dependent on his far-right allies. His decision to dissolve the War Cabinet can impact monthslong efforts by the US, Egypt and Qatar for a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Gaza has been in the throes of a humanitarian crisis for months after Israel's devastating offensive, with widespread hunger and thousands of Palestinians on the brink of famine. However, very few trucks carrying vital humanitarian aid have been able to enter the beleaguered territory so far.
Top News
Latest News
