Israel steps up attack on 'terror organizations' in Rafah, Hamas political leader killed

Hamas officials said political leader Salah Bardawil was killed overnight into Sunday in an Israeli airstrike near the southern city of Khan Younis. Israel has not immediately commented.

Bardawil was a well-known member of the Islamist militant group's political wing who frequently gave media interviews.

Health authorities in Gaza said at least 30 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes Sunday on Rafah and Khan Younis.  

Israel tells Rafah residents to evacuate parts of city

The Israeli military said it was launching an offensive in the southern Gazan city of Rafah on Sunday, and urged residents to evacuate. 

Military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a statement posted on social media that Israeli forces have "launched an offensive to strike the terrorist organisations" in Rafah's Tal al-Sultan district and urged residents to leave the "dangerous combat zone."

"Remaining in camps, tents, or houses in Tel al-Sultan or walking on any other route endangers your lives," he said in a statement.

Israel has blocked supply since before the renewed assault, saying that the supplies are being funneled to Hamas militants. 

As Israel cuts renews military operations in Gaza after a nearly two-month ceasefire, the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain on Friday called for a Israel to return to the ceasefire and restore access to water, electricity, medical care and temporary medical evacuations.

In a joint statement, the ministers added they were "appalled by the civilian casualties," which have numbered in the hundreds in the latest Israeli strikes on Gaza. 

Rafah targeted in Israel's earlier offensive

Rafah, located on the Gaza Strip's southern border with Egypt, was the target of a major Israeli offensive about a year ago. It is not immediately clear if Sunday's announcement of operations targeting terror organizations will amount to another large-scale assault on the city.

On Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would annex parts of the Gaza Strip unless Hamas released the remaining Israeli hostages it has held since it carried out terror attacks on southern Israel, sparking the current conflict. 

During the terror attacks on October 7, 2023, Hamas and other militants killed some 1,200 people and took 251 more hostage — 59 of the hostages are still being held by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups. Israeli authorities believe 24 of them are still alive.