The Israeli military said on Friday it killed senior Hamas official Izz al-Din Kassab, describing him as one of the last high-ranking members of Hamas responsible for coordinating with other groups in the Gaza Strip, in an airstrike in Khan Younis.

The Palestinian group mourned the death of Kassab in a statement, adding that he was killed along with another Hamas official named Ayman Ayesh in an Israeli attack on their car in the enclave.

Hamas sources told Reuters that Kassab was a local group official in Gaza but not a member of its decision-making political office.