Israeli Airstrike Kills Hamas Spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua Amid Genocidal War in Gaza
Gaza City: Israel has killed Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua in an airstrike on his tent in Jabalia, northern Gaza, as its military assault on the besieged enclave escalates. According to Hamas-affiliated media, the attack, which took place early Thursday, left several others wounded, including children. This marks yet another assassination of a senior Hamas figure as Israel continues its targeted killings of the group’s leadership.
According to Al Jazeera, this strike is part of a broader Israeli military campaign that resumed on March 18, ending a fragile two-month ceasefire. Since then, Israel’s intensified aerial and ground attacks have killed at least 830 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, as reported by Gaza’s health ministry. The renewed military offensive is widely seen as an attempt to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages held since the October 7, 2023 attack.
According to Reuters, Israel has in recent days assassinated several senior Hamas officials, including Ismail Barhoum and Salah al-Bardaweel, both of whom were key members of Hamas’s 20-member political office. With their deaths, at least 11 of Hamas’s top decision-makers have been eliminated since the war began in late 2023, significantly weakening the leadership structure of the group.
According to statements from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the military operation was ordered because Hamas rejected proposals to extend the ceasefire. Netanyahu has also repeated threats to seize territory in Gaza if Hamas does not agree to release the remaining hostages. However, according to Hamas sources, the group has accused Israel of deliberately undermining mediation efforts aimed at negotiating a lasting truce, further complicating the prospects of a peaceful resolution.
According to Al Jazeera’s correspondents in Gaza, Israeli airstrikes have continued across various parts of the Strip, with entire families being wiped out in relentless bombardments. One such attack in the as-Saftawi area of Gaza City killed six members of the same family, further highlighting the civilian toll of the conflict. Additionally, another strike in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis resulted in multiple casualties.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, hospitals remain overwhelmed as the humanitarian crisis deepens, with thousands of injured civilians struggling to receive treatment amid severe shortages of medical supplies due to the Israeli blockade. The ongoing bombardment has left much of Gaza in ruins, with entire neighborhoods flattened and infrastructure devastated.
With no signs of de-escalation, the death toll continues to rise as Israel expands its military operations, causing widespread destruction and civilian suffering in one of the most densely populated regions in the world. The conflict remains at a critical juncture, with the people of Gaza bearing the brunt of the violence.
