A senior officer in Hamas’s armed wing was killed in an Israeli strike in Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, Hamas said accusing Israel of violating the truce, with reports indicating that at least five other people were killed in the incident.
Israel has not commented on the alleged strike.
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan, who is based in Lebanon, said that local al-Qassam Brigades commander Muhammad al-Hawli was killed in the strike, calling it a dangerous escalation and revealing Israel’s intention to undermine the ceasefire agreement.”
He called on US President Donald Trump and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to hold Israel to account.
“The ball is now in Trump’s and Witkoff’s court, and Washington must demonstrate Israel’s commitment to the ceasefire agreement,” said Hamdan.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
The incident comes a day after the US announced that the sides would be moving on to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
According to Palestinian media, local al-Qassam Brigades commander al-Hawli’s wife and daughter, and at least three other people, were killed in the strike on the Hawli family home Thursday evening.
Illustrative: Palestinians walk amid destroyed buildings in Gaza City, in northern Gaza, January 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
A 16-year-old was among those killed, health officials told Reuters.
Separately, the IDF in a statement said troops from the 7th Armored Brigade killed a suspect in the southern Gaza Strip earlier Thursday after he crossed into the Israeli-controlled side of the ceasefire line and approached troops in a manner that posed an “immediate threat.”
The military did not specify what the suspect did to be identified as a threat.
More suspects were killed on Wednesday in both north and south Gaza after crossing the Yellow Line and moving toward troops, the IDF said, without specifying how many people were killed.
The IDF said its Southern Command forces remain deployed in Gaza in accordance with the October ceasefire agreement and will continue to act against any immediate threats.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, Israel has killed over 400 people in the Strip since the ceasefire-hostage agreement came into effect in October — over two years after Hamas invaded southern Israel, sparking the war in Gaza. The United Nations children’s agency said on Tuesday that over 100 of the Gazans killed during the ceasefire were children.
Is accurate Israel coverage important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day during the past two years of war and rising global anti-Zionism and antisemitism, our journalists kept you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fact-based coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel – and we know you do too. So we have an ask for this new year of 2026: express your values by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel