Israeli airstrike wounds alleged Hamas commander in northern Gaza

Israeli forces launched an aerial strike in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, critically wounding a Palestinian man who was traveling on a rickshaw. The Israeli military said the individual was a Hamas commander planning attacks against Israeli troops operating in the enclave. This was the first such strike in more than a week, coming after Israel scaled back large-scale operations in response to U.S. pressure to implement the latest version of President Donald Trump's proposal for ending the Gaza war.

Palestinian medical workers and eyewitnesses confirmed the victim’s injuries, while Israeli officials asserted the target represented an immediate danger and that troops would remain under the Southern Command to counter threats. Israeli fire since the U.S.-backed ceasefire has resulted in over 1,250 Palestinian deaths, the majority civilians, and four Israeli soldiers have been killed by militants during the same period. The incident underscores the fragile ceasefire and the ongoing cycle of targeted killings in the conflict.