Top Hamas Commanders Killed in Israeli Military Strikes

Several commanders of the Hamas militant group have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, Hamas and Israel announced Wednesday, as clashes between the two sides escalate.

Hamas said in a statement that the leader of its military operation in Gaza City, Bassem Issa, and other senior military officials were killed in the attacks. The Israeli internal security agency said Wednesday that Issa and other top Hamas commanders, including the group’s engineering chief and the heads of cyber warfare and rocket development, were killed. The killings occurred after Israel launched a new round of airstrikes on Gaza early Wednesday, targeting police and security installations. A multi-story residential and office building was heavily damaged. No one was in the building at the time.