Hamas mourned the death of Aysar al-Saadi, a senior commander in its al-Qassam Brigades, who was killed on Tuesday by an Israeli airstrike in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.
Israel has been waging a major military operation in the northern West Bank for over a month. Hamas accused Israel of resorting to aerial bombardments due to its military failures on the ground.
“This new crime will not stop the growing wave of Palestinian resistance,” Hamas said in a statement.
Al-Saadi, who had survived multiple assassination attempts, was targeted amid intense armed clashes between Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces in Jenin, according to the militant group.
An Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed one person, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Local media outlets said the victim of the strike was a member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force.
Israel has killed several Hezbollah officials in drone strikes in different parts of Lebanon since the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war ended in late November.
Alternative plan
Israel this week introduced what it said was a new US ceasefire plan — different from the one it agreed to in January — and is trying to force Hamas to accept it by imposing a siege on the Gaza Strip.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to it as the “Witkoff proposal”, saying it came from US President Donald Trump’s West Asia envoy, Steve Witkoff.
But the White House has yet to confirm that, saying only that it supports whatever action Israel takes.
Netanyahu’s remarks came a day after the first phase of the negotiated ceasefire ended, with no clarity on what would come next since the agreement’s second phase has not yet been hammered out.
The new plan would require Hamas to release half its remaining hostages — the militant group’s main bargaining chip — in exchange for a ceasefire extension and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce.
Israel made no mention of releasing more Palestinian prisoners — a key component of the first phase.
Hamas has accused Israel of trying to sabotage the existing agreement, which called for the two sides to negotiate the return of the remaining hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire. But no substantive negotiations have been held.