Hamas senior official and newly appointed Prime Minister of Gaza, Ismail Barhoum, has been killed in an Israeli attack.
Barhoum had taken office less than a week ago after the killing of former Prime Minister Issam Da’alis on March 18. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed Barhoum’s death.
On Sunday night (March 23), Israeli forces targeted Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. The attack resulted in the deaths of Barhoum and another individual while injuring eight others. Hamas confirmed his death, stating that he was receiving medical treatment at the hospital at the time of the attack.
Israeli Defense Minister said, “On Sunday evening, the Israel Defense Forces successfully eliminated senior Hamas official Ismail Barhoum at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.” He added that Barhoum had succeeded Issam Da’alis, who was killed a few days earlier.
Footage of the attack was captured by Al Jazeera and BBC Arabic. A video circulating on social media shows an Al Jazeera journalist preparing for a live report outside the hospital when a missile-like object strikes the facility, causing a fire. The fire has since been brought under control, but the hospital suffered further damage.