Israel targets Hamas commander in Gaza airstrike

The Israeli military conducted an airstrike in the Gaza Strip that critically wounded a Palestinian man, whom the military identified as a Hamas commander planning attacks against Israeli troops. The strike occurred in Beit Lahiya, located in the northern Gaza Strip, where witnesses reported the individual was traveling on a rickshaw.

This incident marks the first such airstrike in over a week, following a period where Israel scaled back major operations due to United States pressure to implement a plan to end the war. The Israeli military stated that its forces will remain deployed in the area under the Southern Command and will continue operations against immediate threats in accordance with existing agreements.

Since a U.S.-backed ceasefire halted full-scale war in October, Israeli fire has killed more than 1,250 Palestinians in Gaza, the majority of whom were civilians. During the same period, an Israeli tally reported that four soldiers were killed by militants.