- health authorities in Gaza and the Hamas-controlled interior ministry reported that another Israeli strike targeted a police facility in western Gaza City
- Al-Hayya accused Israel of undermining mediation efforts linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace initiative
- Dozens of Palestinians attended funeral prayers for Azzam Al-Hayya in Gaza, chanting religious slogans as his body was taken for burial
An Israeli airstrike has reportedly killed Azzam Al-Hayya, the son of senior Hamas negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya, amid ongoing talks aimed at preserving the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Hamas officials and medical sources said Azzam died on Thursday from injuries sustained during an Israeli strike carried out the previous night. He becomes the fourth son of Khalil Al-Hayya to lose his life in Israeli military operations over the years.
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The Israeli military had not issued an official response to the incident as of the time of filing this report.
The development came as Hamas leaders and regional mediators met in Cairo to discuss the future of the ceasefire agreement and negotiations linked to Gaza’s reconstruction plan backed by the United States.
Later on Thursday, health authorities in Gaza and the Hamas-controlled interior ministry reported that another Israeli strike targeted a police facility in western Gaza City, killing at least three police officers and injuring several others.
In response, the Israeli military said it had attacked a Hamas command centre in northern Gaza, claiming militants inside the facility were planning attacks against Israeli civilians and troops.
Israel has recently stepped up operations against Gaza’s police structures, which it accuses Hamas of using to strengthen control over territories under its administration.
Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior Hamas political leader currently living outside Gaza, has survived several previous assassination attempts. Other members of his family were killed in separate Israeli attacks in 2008, 2014 and another strike in Doha last year.
Speaking to Al Jazeera before confirmation of his son’s death, Al-Hayya accused Israel of undermining mediation efforts linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace initiative.
“These attacks show that the occupation is unwilling to fully commit to the ceasefire agreement,” he said.
Dozens of Palestinians attended funeral prayers for Azzam Al-Hayya in Gaza, chanting religious slogans as his body was taken for burial.
A family member said the killings would not weaken the resolve of Khalil Al-Hayya or Hamas leadership during negotiations.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem also condemned the strike, insisting that targeting relatives of leaders would not pressure the group into making political concessions.
“This policy will not force Hamas or the Palestinian people to abandon their positions,” he told Reuters.
The latest violence comes as negotiations continue over the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement reached in October.
The proposed framework reportedly includes Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, reconstruction efforts, and discussions surrounding Hamas disarmament, an issue that remains one of the biggest obstacles in the talks.
A Hamas official said the group informed mediators that it would not move forward with detailed discussions on the next phase until Israel fully implements commitments under the current ceasefire arrangement, including ending attacks in Gaza.
According to local health officials, more than 830 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began, while Israel says militant attacks during the same period have resulted in the deaths of four Israeli soldiers.
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