Israel Threatens Hamas Leaders Abroad After Gaza Strikes Kill 9

Nine Palestinians, including children and women, were killed and others injured on Tuesday in Israeli airstrikes, gunfire, and artillery shelling across the Gaza Strip. The strikes, which also involved demolitions of civilian homes and facilities, were described as ongoing violations of a ceasefire agreement. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened on Tuesday to assassinate Hamas leaders outside of Gaza, stating that "Hamas leaders abroad are also targeted." This statement followed an Israeli airstrike that killed Izz al-Din al-Bik, known as "Abu Hamza Ashmawi," the commander of Hamas's northern Gaza brigade in the Qassam Brigades. He was killed in an early morning strike targeting an apartment in the Al-Nasr neighborhood of Gaza City. A medical source at Al-Shifa Hospital reported one fatality and several injuries, including children, from the strike on the apartment.

These actions occur amid continued Israeli violations of the ceasefire, which reportedly include firing from vehicles and tanks, airstrikes, demolishing civilian structures, and targeting tents of displaced people and shelters. These alleged violations have reportedly been ongoing for 355 days. The article references a ceasefire agreement signed on October 10, 2025, and understandings announced in July 2026 for the second phase of a truce. It also mentions a "new agreement" announced by then-U.S. President Donald Trump on July 31, 2026, to initiate the second phase of a "road map" for Gaza.