Four killed in Gaza in strikes, Israel says it killed a Hamas finance chief

CAIRO: Israeli airstrikes killed at least four Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, local health officials said, and Israel said one of the attacks targeted a Hamas finance chief.

Medics said two of the Palestinians, Osama Abu Khater and Mohammad Abu Elwan, were killed when an Israeli airstrike hit a vehicle in western Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave. Two other people were wounded, they added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, in a joint statement, described Mohammad Abu Elwan as a senior Hamas finance official.

“We will not allow Hamas to rebuild its strength, and we will not stop until Hamas no longer exists in Gaza,” the joint statement said.

Hamas did not immediately comment.

Later on Wednesday, Palestinian health officials said two people had also been killed in two separate Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City and in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, taking Wednesday’s death toll to at least four.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the last two strikes.

Palestinian authorities say more than 73,000 people have been killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza.

A US-brokered ceasefire agreed last year calls for the eventual reconstruction of the territory, but little progress has been made as negotiators have failed to agree terms for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its troops. Israeli airstrikes have continued.

At least 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, according to the territory’s health officials, while the Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have been killed.

Israel and Hamas trade blame over responsibility for violations of the ceasefire agreement.