admin An Israeli air strike has killed the son of Hamas’ chief negotiator in US-mediated talks over Gaza’s future, a senior Hamas official said on Thursday, as leaders of the Palestinian group held talks in Cairo aimed at safeguarding their truce with Israel.
Azzam Al Hayya, son of Khalil Al Hayya, succumbed to his wounds on Thursday after being struck in an Israeli attack on Wednesday night, said senior Hamas official Basim Naim. He is the fourth son of Hamas’ exiled Gaza chief to have been killed in Israeli attacks.
The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment.
Later on Thursday, health officials said at least two Palestinians were killed, and others were wounded when an Israeli airstrike targeted a police post in western Gaza City. It wasn’t immediately clear whether any of those killed were policemen.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
PAST ISRAELI STRIKES HAVE KILLED THREE MORE OF HIS SONS
Hayya, who has seven children, has survived multiple Israeli attempts to kill him. An Israeli strike in Doha last year targeting Hamas leadership killed another son, though Hayya survived. Two other sons were killed in past Israeli attempts on his life, in Gaza strikes in 2008 and 2014.
The sisters of Azzam Al Hayya mourn over his body at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on Thursday. AP
Speaking to Al Jazeera after the attack on Wednesday night, before his son’s death was announced, Hayya accused Israel of trying to undermine mediators’ efforts to push ahead with US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, overseen by his so-called “Board of Peace.”
“These Zionist attacks and violations clearly indicate that the occupation does not want to abide by a ceasefire or by the first phase,” said Hayya.
Chanting “Allahu akbar,” or “God is Greatest,” dozens of Palestinians rallied in Gaza at the funeral of Hayya, the son, and held special prayers before walking him to burial. Women relatives paid respects to the white-shrouded body.
“Your martyrdom, my beloved brother, you and my brother Hammam, and Osama and Hamza, will not deter my father, Dr. Khalil Al-Hayya, from this principle, nor from these constants,” said the victim’s sister, inside the morgue.
The group’s Gaza spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, said the killing of the Hamas leader’s son was a failed attempt by Israel to influence the negotiating team and win political concessions.
“We say that this repeated policy of targeting the leaders and the sons of leaders will not succeed in extorting a political position from our Palestinian people, nor the Hamas leadership, nor its negotiating delegation,” Qassem told Reuters.
Reuters
