Hamas says a son of its chief negotiator was killed in an Israeli strike
on Gaza
[May 08, 2026]
By WAFAA SHURAFA and TOQA EZZIDIN
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) The son of Hamas' lead negotiator died
after being wounded by an Israeli strike on Gaza, the militant group
said Thursday, as another Israeli strike killed three Hamas security
forces, according to local officials.
Israel meanwhile said it killed three Hezbollah militants in a strike on
the southern suburbs of Beirut the day before.
Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya's 32-year-old son, Azzam, was wounded
by a strike in Gaza City on Wednesday that killed another person and
wounded several others. The Israeli military has not commented on the
strike. The older al-Hayya is based abroad.
Israel has continued to carry out regular strikes against what it says
are militant targets also killing civilians since a U.S.-brokered
ceasefire halted major military operations in October. That agreement
also led to the release of the remaining hostages taken in Hamas' Oct.
7, 2023, attack that sparked the war.
Key stipulations of the agreement remain unmet, including the
disarmament of Hamas, the deployment of an international stabilization
force and Israel's withdrawal from the half of the territory its troops
still control. Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violations.
Israel has killed several Hamas leaders and their relatives
Hamas accused Israel of trying to pressure negotiators through targeted
killings. It was not clear if the younger al-Hayya was the target of the
strike.
In comments to Al Jazeera after his son was wounded, Al-Hayya said that
if his son was targeted, it would be an honor to me, to him, and to all
Palestinians.
When asked about disarming, al-Hayya said Hamas would be ready to
discuss the second phase of the ceasefire agreement only after Israel
fulfills the first phase, which includes a cessation of hostilities and
a surge in humanitarian aid.
Israeli strikes have killed several top Hamas leaders and their family
members over the years. Another son of al-Hayya, Hammam, was killed in
an Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar in September.
Al-Hayya's daughter, Tasnim, speaking at Shifa Hospital in Gaza, said
her father's hand would not be forced by the deaths of his children.
We are like all our people. Everyone has suffered and everyone has
sacrificed. We are one of them, she said.
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Rescue workers search through the rubble of a building destroyed in
an Israeli airstrike the previous day in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern
suburbs, Lebanon, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Palestinians still struggle despite shaky ceasefire
An Israeli strike on Thursday killed three Hamas-affiliated security
forces at a guard post, according to Shifa Hospital. A fourth
security officer was critically wounded, the Hamas-run Interior
Ministry said. The Israeli military said it struck a Hamas command
center.
More than 72,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel
launched its offensive in response to Hamas' 2023 attack, in which
militants killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostage.
Palestinians in Gaza are still contending with myriad daily
struggles, from lack of water to rodent infestations in sprawling
tent camps.
Relatives of three people killed Wednesday in a separate Israeli
strike on Gaza gathered in the courtyard of Shifa Hospital on
Thursday to say their final goodbyes, embracing as they wept.
The family members had just moved out of a school where they were
sheltering and were setting up new tents when they were struck. A
man, his son and his nephew were killed, according to a relative,
Yahiya Kishko.
A rare strike on Beirut
In Lebanon, the Israeli military said it had killed Ahmed Balout,
who it identified as a commander in Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force,
along with two other militants. There was no immediate comment from
Hezbollah.
Wednesday's strike occurred in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where
Hezbollah has a large presence but which is also home to many
civilians. It was the first time Israel had struck the area since a
U.S.-brokered ceasefire was announced on April 17. Fighting has
continued in southern Lebanon.
Israel says it has killed more than 85 Hezbollah militants and
struck 180 sites used by the group in the last week, without
providing evidence.
___
Ezzidin reported from Cairo. Associated Press reporter Sally Abou
AlJoud in Beirut contributed.
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