Israel Airstrikes in Gaza Wound Son of Hamas Negotiator Amid Fragile Ceasefire Talks

Israeli airstrikes across Gaza on Wednesday critically wounded Azzam Al-Hayya, the son of senior Hamas negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya, according to Hamas officials and local medics. The strike in Gaza City also killed another individual, further escalating tensions as indirect ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue.

Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas’ exiled Gaza chief and one of the group’s leading negotiators, has previously lost three sons in earlier Israeli military operations linked to conflicts in Gaza and Qatar. Hamas official Taher Al-Nono condemned the latest attack, saying the targeting of Azzam Al-Hayya reflected “moral and ethical degradation” and insisted such actions would not weaken Hamas’ negotiating position regarding Palestinian rights.

The Israeli military did not immediately issue a statement concerning the strike on Azzam Al-Hayya. However, Israel confirmed another airstrike in the al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis, stating that the operation targeted a Hamas operative.

Local health officials reported that four Palestinians were killed earlier in the day, including Naseem al-Kalazani, a colonel in Hamas’ anti-narcotics police force. The strike reportedly hit his vehicle near western Khan Younis and injured at least 17 others. Israel has intensified operations against Hamas-run police and security forces in Gaza in recent months.

The violence comes as Hamas leaders and Palestinian factions meet mediators in Cairo alongside international envoy Nickolay Mladenov to discuss the second phase of a Gaza ceasefire and reconstruction plan backed by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The proposal includes Israeli troop withdrawals and Gaza reconstruction in exchange for Hamas disarmament, a key sticking point in negotiations.

Hamas officials said the group would not engage in serious second-phase discussions until Israel fulfills commitments from the first stage of the ceasefire agreement. Since the truce began, Palestinian authorities say more than 830 Palestinians have been killed, while Israel reports four soldiers killed by militants during the same period.

The Gaza conflict, which began in October 2023, has devastated much of the territory. Gaza health authorities estimate that more than 72,500 Palestinians, many of them civilians, have died since the war started.