Seven people were killed in two Israeli airstrikes in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, a Hamas source said, identifying one of the dead as Mohammed Al-Holy, a local armed-wing commander. Hamas condemned the strikes and accused Israel of breaching the October ceasefire. Health officials said the other victims included a 16-year-old. Wider conflict tolls since the truce include more than 400 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers; Palestinian authorities report some 71,000 deaths since the October offensive.
Senior Hamas Commander Killed in Israeli Airstrikes in Central Gaza; Seven Dead
FILE PHOTO: Rubble lies at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in the central Gaza Strip, January 9, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa/File Photo
A senior member of Hamas's armed wing was among seven people killed on Thursday in two separate Israeli airstrikes in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, a Hamas source said.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Hamas source identified one of the dead as Mohammed Al-Holy, a local commander in the group's armed wing in Deir al-Balah.
Hamas condemned the strikes in a statement that called attacks on the Al-Holy family a violation of the ceasefire that has been in place since October and warned the strikes could reignite hostilities. The statement did not explicitly name Mohammed Al-Holy or refer to his role in the group.
Health officials said the six other people killed in the incident included a 16-year-old. Casualty counts in Gaza remain contested and are reported by local health authorities and international agencies.
Wider Context
Israel and Hamas have exchanged accusations over violations of the ceasefire and remain far apart on key issues, even after the United States announced the start of the agreement's second phase on Wednesday. Since the ceasefire took effect in October, more than 400 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed.
Israeli forces have demolished buildings and ordered residents to evacuate from large parts of Gaza where troops continue to operate. As a result, nearly all of Gaza's more than 2 million residents now live in makeshift shelters or damaged structures in a narrow area where Israeli forces have withdrawn and Hamas has reasserted control.
The United Nations children's agency said on Tuesday that over 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire, including victims of drone and quadcopter strikes. The conflict began after an attack by Hamas-led fighters in October 2023 that Israeli tallies say killed about 1,200 people. Palestinian health authorities report that Israel's assault has killed some 71,000 people and left large swathes of Gaza in ruins.
(Reporting by Nidal Al-Mughrabi; Writing by Pesha Magid; Editing by Peter Graff)
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