Israel said Sunday that Rafa Salama, a top commander of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, was killed in a deadly airstrike. Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza said the airstrike targeted a refugee camp and killed at least 90 people.
Hamas, meanwhile, denies reports that negotiations over a ceasefire and the return of the remaining hostages in the Qatari capital Doha have failed after the attack.
Salama was a key target of Saturday’s attack, along with Mohammed Deif, the leader of Hamas’s military wing in Gaza. The pair have been described by Israel as “the masterminds behind the October 7 massacre” that sparked the current conflict.
A statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Salama had been “eliminated,” but made no mention of Deif.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously stated that there was still no absolute certainty about Deif’s fate, while a Hamas representative in the Lebanese capital Beirut said on Sunday that Deif had not been killed.
The IDF described Salama as one of Deif’s closest associates and said his death would severely damage Hamas’ military capabilities. Salama led the Khan Younis Brigade in southern Gaza and was responsible for numerous rocket attacks on Israel in recent years, the IDF said.
Palestinian doctors reported that at least 90 people were killed and hundreds injured in Saturday’s attack after tents for displaced people in the al-Mawasi camp were hit.
According to the IDF, the attack “was carried out in a fenced area controlled by Hamas where, according to information from the IDF, only Hamas terrorists and no civilians were present.”
No failure in negotiations
Despite the deadly airstrike, Hamas continued to insist on Sunday that indirect negotiations are still ongoing.
According to Israeli media, the head of Israel’s foreign intelligence service, Daniel Barnea, plans to travel to the Qatari capital Doha in the coming days for a new round of talks.
The negotiations, which have been going on for months, revolve around the exchange of the remaining Hamas hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict.
The indirect talks are progressing slowly as Israel continues to reject Hamas’ demand for a permanent ceasefire.
Also on Sunday, Israeli media reported that Netanyahu’s government has extended the length of mandatory military service for Israeli men by four months due to the need for more manpower.
New recruits will now have to serve 36 months — a full three years — instead of the previous 32 months, according to a report on Israel’s Kan Radio. The two-year conscription period for women remains unchanged.
The bill still needs to be approved by the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
