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The Israeli navy introduced what it known as a exact operation to kill members of Hamas in Gaza on Thursday, a day after a strike there killed relations of one of many group\u2019s most senior leaders.<\/p>\n
Ismail Haniyeh, who leads the political wing of Hamas from exile, mentioned three of his sons had been killed in the Israeli airstrike<\/a> in northern Gaza on Wednesday. Hamas-affiliated media reported that three of Mr. Haniyeh\u2019s grandchildren additionally have been killed within the assault.<\/p>\n On Thursday, Israel\u2019s navy mentioned that its forces had carried out a \u201cexact, intelligence-based operation\u201d in central Gaza in a single day with fighter jets and floor troops to \u201ceradicate terrorist operatives and strike terrorist infrastructure.\u201d <\/p>\n It was not instantly clear whether or not the operation was associated to the strike a day earlier in opposition to Mr. Haniyeh\u2019s sons, who the Israeli navy mentioned had been \u201con their way to carry out terrorist activities<\/a> in central Gaza.\u201d It didn’t present additional particulars, and the navy\u2019s claims couldn’t be verified.<\/p>\n The Israeli navy mentioned that the three Haniyeh sons it killed \u2014 Amir, Mohammad and Hazem \u2014 have been energetic in Hamas\u2019s navy operations, Amir as a cell commander and his brothers as lower-level operatives. One of many brothers was additionally concerned in holding hostages, the Israeli navy mentioned, with out specifying which one.<\/p>\n The strike got here as worldwide negotiators work to dealer a cease-fire in Gaza and safe the discharge of hostages held within the enclave. These talks have stalled over disagreements concerning the particulars, with a senior Hamas official saying Wednesday that the group did not have 40 living hostages<\/a> who met the standards for an change below the proposal being mentioned.<\/p>\n Whereas Mr. Haniyeh is considered one of Hamas\u2019s most senior officers, analysts mentioned that his sons have been much less integral to the operation \u2014 and that their killings appeared primarily aimed toward sending a message to the group\u2019s management amid cease-fire negotiations.<\/p>\n \u201cHis son\u2019s names should not often floated round once you discuss seniority in Hamas, whether or not it\u2019s the political or navy wing,\u201d mentioned Tahani Mustafa, a senior analyst on the Worldwide Disaster Group, a assume tank.<\/p>\n Ms. Mustafa mentioned that the timing of the strike made it appear to be an effort to derail the talks.<\/p>\n However Bilal Saab, an affiliate fellow within the Center East and North Africa program at Chatham Home, mentioned the strike might have been supposed to placate a home viewers after six months of warfare, or to provide Israel leverage within the talks.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a political win for Israel greater than anything,\u201d Mr. Saab mentioned, including: \u201cThis was a success meant to strain Hamas to make concessions on the hostage negotiations.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. Haniyeh mentioned Wednesday that Israel was \u201cdelusional if it thinks that by killing my kids, we are going to change our positions\u201d in negotiations.<\/p>\n Lively preventing in Gaza has ebbed to its lowest point<\/a> since November. Israel withdrew troops<\/a> from southern Gaza over the weekend, however mentioned the navy would keep in different components of Gaza to protect its \u201cfreedom of motion and its capability to conduct exact intelligence-based operations.\u201d<\/p>\n The navy\u2019s said emphasis on precision comes as worldwide criticism of the warfare in Gaza intensifies over the rising Palestinian demise toll and warnings of famine.<\/p>\n Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has mentioned {that a} date has been set for a floor invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, an operation U.S. officers have warned could be catastrophic for civilians. Some analysts have steered that his threats are bluster<\/a> or makes an attempt at gaining leverage within the cease-fire negotiations.<\/p>\n The Biden administration has urged Mr. Netanyahu to shelve the invasion plans and deal with \u201calternative approaches that would target the key elements of Hamas<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n