Hamas Political Bureau member Salah al-Bardawil was killed Saturday night into Sunday in an Israeli Air Force strike in the al-Mawasi area near Khan Yunis. According to reports from the Gaza Strip, he was killed alongside his wife. The terrorist organization confirmed his death in an official statement.
Al-Bardawil previously served as a member of the Palestinian parliament representing Hamas. Born in Khan Yunis like Yahya Sinwar and other senior officials, he studied engineering in Egypt before rising through the organization's ranks.
Throughout his career with Hamas, al-Bardawil edited the organization's official publication "al-Risalah" and headed its communications department. He frequently appeared as one of the group's primary spokespersons in Arab media outlets. Though previously imprisoned for his membership in the terrorist organization, he was later released.
As a member of the Hamas Political Bureau in Gaza under Yahya Sinwar's leadership, al-Bardawil held significant influence. His death marks the ninth casualty among the bureau's 17 members since the beginning of the war. Six other members, including Khalil al-Hayya and Razi Hamad, had left Gaza before the conflict began. Since the start of Operation Strength and Sword, he is the second bureau member remaining in Gaza to be eliminated, following last week's killing of Issam al-Daalis, who served as the "shadow government prime minister."
