The Israeli army and security agency Shin Bet on Thursday claimed they had assassinated two members of Hamas’ military wing in Gaza, one of whom was allegedly the personal bodyguard of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

The army identified one of the deceased as Hamas elite military wing member Hazem Moussa, saying he was killed in a raid on Sunday. It accused Moussa of participating in the attack on the Re’im military base on 7 October 2023.

A seperate raid on Monday resulted in the killing of Rizq Suhail Suleiman Abu Shahma, who the army claimed was also an elite military unit member and Sinwar’s bodyguard. The military released a photo of Abu Shahma alongside Sinwar during an event, though it provided no further evidence that he was part of Sinwar’s security detail.

The statement claimed that Moussa and Abu Shahma were planning attacks on Israel and attempting to rebuild Hamas’ military capabilities, what it called a “violation of the ceasefire agreement”.

The attacks, which took place in Khan Younis, are part of Israel’s continued raids on Gaza despite the US-brokered ceasefire agreement which came into force in October.

Gaza’s health ministry on Wednesday said Israel had killed 1,303 Palestinians since the ceasefire, bringing the total death toll since October 2023 to 73,438.

On Thursday, Israel continued its attacks, bombing the roof of a house in the Al-Shati camp, west of Gaza City. The attack wounded several Palestinians, including one who remains in intensive care. 

On Wednesday, the high representative for US President Donald Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ slammed Israel’s attacks on Gaza, questioning why Tel Aviv has continued its offensive.

Nikolay Mladenov highlighted that Hamas has agreed to disarm under Trump’s peace plan, but said that Israel’s attacks continue to kill Palestinians.

“After three years of war and 20 years of military operations, I ask, will another strike on a munitions depot stop Hamas from rearming or tightening its grip on Gaza?” Mladenov said. “It will not. It only delays the demilitarisation that would happen”.