Israel's military said on Sunday it killed Saqr Nabil Musa Qaisi, a member of Hamas's elite Nukhba force, in an airstrike in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza. The army said Qaisi took part in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

The military alleged that Qaisi headed the Turkish humanitarian organisation Deniz Feneri and used the role to employ Hamas members and channel funds to the group. It said he had worked to restore Hamas's military capabilities, which it called a systematic violation of the ceasefire.

Deniz Feneri disputed the Israeli account. The group said Qaisi was one of its field volunteers, not its director, and that he had helped deliver humanitarian aid to people in Gaza. It did not address the allegation that he was a Hamas member.

In a separate strike in the same area, the military said it killed a commander of Hamas's armed wing. Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah had earlier reported Qaisi's death after a strike on a vehicle. The competing claims could not be independently verified, and the incident adds to scrutiny of aid groups operating in Gaza.

Sources: devdiscourse.com; en.walaw.press; turkishminute.com.