Hamas said Sunday that Gaza cease-fire talks continue and the group含羞草研究社檚 military commander is in good health, a day after the Israeli military targeted Mohammed Deif with a massive airstrike that local health officials said killed at least 90 people, including children.
Deif含羞草研究社檚 condition remained unclear after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday night 含羞草研究社渢here still isn含羞草研究社檛 absolute certainty含羞草研究社� he was killed. Hamas representatives gave no evidence to back up their assertion about the health of a chief architect of the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war.
The Israeli military on Sunday announced that Rafa Salama, a Hamas commander it described as one of Deif含羞草研究社檚 closest associates, was killed in Saturday含羞草研究社檚 strike. Salama commanded Hamas含羞草研究社� Khan Younis brigade. The statement gave no update on Deif, who has long topped Israel含羞草研究社檚 most-wanted list and has been in hiding for years.
Hamas rejected the idea that mediated cease-fire discussions had been suspended after the strike. Spokesperson Jihad Taha said 含羞草研究社渢here is no doubt that the horrific massacres will impact any efforts in the negotiations含羞草研究社� but added that 含羞草研究社渆fforts and endeavors of the mediators remain ongoing.含羞草研究社�
The killing of Deif would mark the highest profile assassination of any Hamas leader by Israel since the war began. It would be a huge victory for Israel and a deep psychological blow for the militant group. Netanyahu said all of Hamas含羞草研究社� leaders are 含羞草研究社渕arked for death含羞草研究社� and asserted that killing them would move Hamas closer to accepting a cease-fire deal.
Hamas political officials insisted that communication channels remained functional between the leadership inside and outside Gaza after the strike in the territory含羞草研究社檚 south. Witnesses said it occurred in an area that Israel had designated as safe for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians. Israel含羞草研究社檚 military would not confirm that.
On Sunday, some survivors were angry that the attack targeting Deif occurred without warning in an area they had been told was safe.
含羞草研究社淲here are we supposed to go?含羞草研究社� asked Mahmoud Abu Yaseen, who said he heard two strikes and clutched his children, then woke up in the hospital to find his son had died. The family had already been displaced five times since the war began, he said.
A United Nations official described utter chaos at Nasser hospital where victims were taken, many treated on bloodstained floors with few supplies available.
含羞草研究社淚 witnessed some of the most horrific scenes I have seen in my nine months in Gaza,含羞草研究社� Scott Anderson said in a statement. 含羞草研究社淚 saw toddlers who are double amputees, children paralyzed and unable to receive treatment and others separated from their parents.含羞草研究社� He said restrictions on humanitarian aid to Gaza hamper efforts to provide needed medical and other care.
On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant praised the pilots who carried out the strike and said Hamas is being eroded every day, with no ability to arm itself, organize or 含羞草研究社渃are for the wounded.含羞草研究社�
At least 300 people were wounded in the strike, one of the deadliest in the nine-month war sparked by Hamas含羞草研究社� Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took more than 200 hostage.
More than 38,400 people in Gaza have been killed in Israeli ground offensives and bombardments since then, according to the territory含羞草研究社檚 Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.
On Sunday, an Israeli strike in Nuseirat in central Gaza killed at least 13 people at the gate of a school, according to Associated Press journalists at Al-Awda hospital. Israel含羞草研究社檚 military in a statement said it struck 含羞草研究社渢errorists含羞草研究社� operating in the area of a school run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees.
Also on Sunday, police said a Palestinian resident of east Jerusalem carried out a car-ramming attack in central Israel that injured four Israelis, two of them seriously. Israeli border police at the scene shot dead the attacker after he hit people waiting at two bus stops along a busy road. Israel含羞草研究社檚 military said four of its personnel were wounded, two of them severely.
Israel Commissioner Kobi Shabtai said such attacks were often 含羞草研究社渢riggered含羞草研究社� by events like Saturday含羞草研究社檚 airstrike in Gaza.
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Lidman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.
Wafaa Shurafa And Melanie Lidman, The Associated Press
