The commander of Hamas’s military wing, Mohammed Odeh, has been killed in a strike in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday – days after his predecessor died in a similar attack.
At least three Palestinians were killed and dozens more were injured in the attack, which hit a residential building in one of Gaza City’s busiest market areas, local medics and witnesses said.
Israel’s military and Shin Bet security service and said buildings that served as a hideout for Odeh were targeted after his movements were tracked for several months.
Hamas has yet to issue an official statement, but a local Hamas source and relatives said Odeh and his wife were killed along with their adult son.
Despite the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreed in October, violence in Gaza has continued on a near-daily basis.
Tuesday’s strike hit the upper three floors of the al-Kayali building in the centre of Gaza City, where streets were busy with shoppers ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
Rescue teams rushed to the scene of the strikes but struggled to reach the upper floors because of the scale of the damage and congestion in the area.
Witnesses said at least five missiles struck the building almost simultaneously from different directions.
One resident said he heard the sound of a helicopter hovering overhead before the attack.
Footage from the scene showed ambulances and civil defence crews searching through the damaged building as crowds gathered nearby.