Jerusalem:  Israel’s military claimed on Monday that it killed a senior Hamas weapons expert in the Gaza Strip while the offensive in Rafah city is continuing.

In an update, the military said that an airstrike killed Muhammad Salah, identified as being in charge of projects and development in Hamas’ weapons manufacturing headquarters, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Salah was part of a project to develop strategic weaponry” and commanded several squads that worked on developing weapons, according to the military.

The military also said that troops were “continuing intelligence-based, targeted operations in the Rafah area”, adding that operations were continuing in central Gaza as well.

Israel has been carrying out a large-scale offensive in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a Hamas rampage on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken hostage.

The Israeli assault caused a severe humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave and killed about 37,600 people, according to the health authorities in Gaza.

(IANS)