Israeli strike kills 10 relatives of Hamas chief Haniyeh

### Gaza Airstrike Kills Haniyeh Family Members

On Tuesday, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that an Israeli air strike resulted in the deaths of 10 family members of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader based in Qatar, including his sister.

The Israeli military, which has been conducting a campaign against Hamas following the October 7 attack, acknowledged the reports but did not confirm the details.

The airstrike targeted the Haniyeh family residence located in the Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, as stated by Mahmud Basal, the spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense agency.

“There are 10 martyrs as a result of the strike, including Zahr Haniyeh, the sister of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh,” Basal informed AFP. He also mentioned that additional bodies might still be trapped under the rubble, but the lack of adequate equipment hindered rescue efforts.

The bodies were transported to Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City, with several others injured in the attack.

Hamas, deemed a terrorist organization by Israel and several Western nations including the United States, condemned the bombing, listing the Haniyeh family home attack among other “massacres” by Israel in Gaza.

Hamas’s statement criticized Israel for violating international laws and norms by deliberately targeting civilians and committing massacres.

Earlier in April, an Israeli strike killed three of Haniyeh’s sons and four grandchildren in central Gaza, with the military accusing them of terrorist activities. Haniyeh has reported that approximately 60 of his family members have died since the war’s onset on October 7.

The conflict began following Hamas’s unprecedented assault on southern Israel, which killed 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to AFP’s tally based on official Israeli sources. In retaliation, Israel has launched extensive air, land, and sea operations, resulting in at least 37,626 deaths in Gaza, predominantly civilians, as per the Gaza health ministry.

This tragic incident underscores the ongoing human toll and devastation in the region, further complicating prospects for peace.