An Israeli airstrike on a hospital in southern Gaza killed a member of Hamas's political bureau

Hamas sources say an Israeli airstrike on a hospital in southern Gaza has killed a member of Hamas's political bureau who was being treated there.

A Hamas source said Israeli warplanes bombed the surgical building of Al-Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Sunday (March 23), where Ismail Barhoum, a member of Hamas's political bureau, was being treated and was killed in the strike.

Bahroum was seriously wounded last week after an airstrike on his residence in Khan Younis and was taken to Nasser Hospital for treatment, the source said. AFP photos showed four floors of the surgery building largely intact, with only one area near the stairwell on fire.

Israeli Defense Minister Israeli Katz confirmed in a statement Sunday that the target of the airstrike was Baroum, and that the military carried out a precision strike on the Nasser Hospital after extensive intelligence gathering.

The Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza earlier reported that Israeli troops attacked the surgical building of the Nasser Hospital, which contained many sick and wounded people, and the scene was set on fire. The Health Ministry later confirmed that one person had been killed and several others injured, including some medical staff, and that the entire surgery had been evacuated.

According to Gaza sources told Xinhua that the Israeli army's attack on the Nasser hospital killed at least five people, including Baroum. Hamas confirmed Bahroum's death in a statement late Sunday.

Bahroum was the fourth member of Hamas's political bureau to be killed since Tuesday. An Israeli air strike on Saturday killed Salah al-Bardaweel, a senior member of Hamas's political bureau, and his wife.