A senior Hamas leader, Salah al-Bardawil, was killed in a predawn airstrike in southern Gaza, marking a significant escalation in Israel's military offensive across the region. The airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 634 Palestinians since the ceasefire was broken on Tuesday.

Al-Bardawil, a prominent member of Hamas's political bureau, was reportedly killed alongside his wife while praying in their tent shelter in Khan Younis. Hamas has condemned the attack as an act of assassination and has vowed that his death will galvanize their struggle for liberation and independence.

As the conflict continues, at least 23 individuals lost their lives during the early morning raids, prompting the Israeli military to issue evacuation orders for the Tal as-Sultan area in Rafah. 

Al Jazeera's Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, described a “critical” situation amid what he characterized as “fierce and extensive air attacks” unleashed by Israel in recent hours. He noted a troubling escalation since Israel’s unilateral decision to terminate the ceasefire, leading to strikes on densely populated neighborhoods, hospitals, schools, and mosques. Despite the intensity of the assaults, he reported no direct confrontations between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters thus far.