Israeli Strike in Southern Gaza Kills 26, Including Hamas Leader, Orders Evacuation in Rafah

Jerusalem: Israel has launched another strike on Sunday in the South of Gaza Strip killing at least 26 Palestinians, including a Hamas leader and several other. Civilians said that Israeli tanks had advanced into the souther city of Rafah and had to evacuate as the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) ordered.

Gaza's Health Ministry said that the death toll of Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 50,000. This follows a series of Israeli airstrikes after the ceasefire ended last week, which resulted in nearly 700 additional casualties.

Israel Orders Evacuation in Gaza

On Sunday in Rafah, Palestinian men, women, and children were seen walking along a dirt road, carrying their belongings in their arms. This has become a common sight in the ongoing war, which has forced the majority of Gaza's population to repeatedly flee within the territory.

The Israeli military ordered civilians to leave the already heavily destroyed Tel al-Sultan neighborhood on foot along a single route to Muwasi, a sprawling area of squalid tent camps.

Also Read: Who Was Salah al-Bardaweel? Hamas Political Leader Killed in Gaza

Israel's Cabinet on Saturday, approved a proposal to set up a new directorate tasked with advancing the “voluntary departure" of Palestinians in line with US President Donald Trump 's proposal to depopulate Gaza and rebuild it for others. Palestinians said they did not want to leave their homeland, and rights groups have said the plan could amount to expulsion in violation of international law.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the new entity would operate "under Israeli and international law" and manage the "movement of people and goods by land, sea, and air to their destination countries."

Hamas Leader Killed in Southern Gaza

Hamas said that Salah al-Bardaweel, a member of its political bureau and the Palestinian parliament, was killed in a strike in Muwasi, which also claimed the life of his wife. Bardawil was a prominent figure in the group's political wing, known for his media appearances over the years.

Hospitals in southern Gaza reported receiving 24 more bodies overnight, including several women and children. The European Hospital in Khan Younis stated that five children and their parents were killed in one strike, while another strike killed two girls and their parents.

(with AP inputs)