Three killed and a number of injuries reported after Israel shelling residential areas in Gaza City
Palestinian residents inspect a severely damaged apartment building following an Israeli airstrike in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on May 26, 2026. [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]
![Palestinian residents inspect a severely damaged apartment building following an Israeli airstrike in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on May 26, 2026. [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]](http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/photo_2026-05-27_08-30-47.jpg "photo_2026-05-27_08-30-47")
Palestinian residents inspect a severely damaged apartment building following an Israeli airstrike in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on May 26, 2026. [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]
![Palestinian residents inspect a severely damaged apartment building following an Israeli airstrike in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on May 26, 2026. [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]](http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/photo_2026-05-27_08-30-53.jpg "photo_2026-05-27_08-30-53")
Palestinian residents inspect a severely damaged apartment building following an Israeli airstrike in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on May 26, 2026. [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]
![Palestinian residents inspect a severely damaged apartment building following an Israeli airstrike in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on May 26, 2026. [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]](http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/photo_2026-05-27_08-30-38.jpg "photo_2026-05-27_08-30-38")
Palestinian residents inspect a severely damaged apartment building following an Israeli airstrike in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on May 26, 2026. [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]
![Palestinian residents inspect a severely damaged apartment building following an Israeli airstrike in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on May 26, 2026. [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]](http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/photo_2026-05-27_08-30-33.jpg "photo_2026-05-27_08-30-33")
Palestinian residents inspect a severely damaged apartment building following an Israeli airstrike in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on May 26, 2026. [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]
![Palestinian residents inspect a severely damaged apartment building following an Israeli airstrike in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on May 26, 2026. [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]](http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/photo_2026-05-27_08-30-29.jpg "photo_2026-05-27_08-30-29")
Palestinian residents inspect a severely damaged apartment building following an Israeli airstrike in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on May 26, 2026. [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]
![Palestinian residents inspect a severely damaged apartment building following an Israeli airstrike in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on May 26, 2026. [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]](http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/photo_2026-05-27_08-30-23.jpg "photo_2026-05-27_08-30-23")
Palestinian residents inspect a severely damaged apartment building following an Israeli airstrike in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on May 26, 2026. [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]
![Palestinian residents inspect a severely damaged apartment building following an Israeli airstrike in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on May 26, 2026. [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]](http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/photo_2026-05-27_08-29-59.jpg "photo_2026-05-27_08-29-59")
Palestinian residents inspect a severely damaged apartment building following an Israeli airstrike in the western Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on May 26, 2026. [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]
According to the Israeli occupation, the target of the assassination was Mohammed Awda, reportedly part of the new leadership within the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. However, there has been no confirmation so far. It is likely that the operation failed, but up to this moment there is still no official confirmation on whether it succeeded or failed, unlike what happened previously with former leader Izz al-Din Haddad.
A joint statement from Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Katz read: “At the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, the army carried out an airstrike in Gaza a short while ago targeting Mohammed Awda, the new commander of the military wing of Hamas and one of the planners of the October 7th attack.”
