Israel Targets Hamas Leader With Airstrikes

The Israeli military says it has bombed the home of the political leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in a wave of air strikes on the Gaza Strip.

It released video of an exploding bomb which it said had hit the home of Yahya Sinwar, the group’s overall leader in the territory.

Israeli air strikes in Gaza killed at least 26 people early on Sunday, officials there said.

Militants fired more rockets at Israel, sending people fleeing for shelter.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “continue to respond forcefully” to rocket attacks, amid calls from the international community to end the escalating conflict.

A UN Security Council meeting is set to take place later on Sunday.
US President Joe Biden phoned Mr Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to express concern about the situation on Saturday.

Since the fighting began on Monday at least 174 people have been killed in Gaza, including 47 children and 29 women, with 1,200 injured, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry. Israel says dozens of militants are among the dead.

Ten people, including two children, have been killed by militant attacks on Israel, Israeli officials say.

The flare-up of violence over the last six days came after weeks of increasing Israeli-Palestinian tension in East Jerusalem, which culminated in clashes at a holy site revered by both Muslims and Jews. Hamas – the Palestinian militant group that runs Gaza – began firing rockets after warning Israel to withdraw from the site, triggering retaliatory air strikes.