Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military carried out an airstrike in Gaza City targeting Mohammed Awda, whom they alleged had been selected as the new commander of Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, as Israeli strikes killed nine Palestinians on the eve of the Muslim Qurban Bayram (Eid al-Adha holiday).
The claim came after heavy Israeli bombardment struck a densely populated area in central Gaza City on the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, killing a Palestinian woman and injuring others, according to medical sources.
The attacks targeted a residential building containing shops, the roof of another residential building in Gaza City's busiest commercial area, a civilian vehicle and a gathering of civilians in central and southern Gaza.
In the latest strike, three Palestinians, including a woman, were killed and 20 others injured after Israeli warplanes struck a residential building in the southern Rimal neighborhood west of Gaza City, the sources said.
Witnesses said the building was located in one of Gaza City's most crowded shopping districts ahead of Eid al-Adha.
