The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says several of its senior members have been assassinated after being directly targeted by Israel’s military forces on Tuesday.

Gaza’s fragile ceasefire was shattered early Tuesday as the Israeli military launched deadly airstrikes across the Palestinian territory, killing more than 400 Palestinians, including children.

The resistance group said in a statement that “a number of government and emergency committee leaders were martyred in the Gaza Strip as a result of the brutal and sudden aggression on the Gaza Strip at dawn today.”

“These leaders, along with their families, were martyred after being directly targeted by the Zionist occupation forces’ aircraft.”

The head of the Hamas government, Essam al-Dali, interior ministry head Mahmud Abu Watfa and Bahjat Abu Sultan, director-general of the internal security service, are among the martyrs, Hamas said.

These leaders, according to Hamas, were responsible for “distributing aid, preventing “thieves” and “bandits” (in reality, collaborators with the Zionist regime), protecting the security of the Palestinian people, and ensuring fairness and social cohesion amid the most difficult of circumstances.”

“They are being assassinated in an attempt to create chaos, famine and internal conflict.”

In a separate statement, Gaza Government Media Office said two top police officers were among those assassinated.

These leaders, it said, “worked tirelessly since the beginning of this genocidal war to alleviate the suffering of their people and who fulfilled their responsibilities with dedication and sacrifice.”

Hamas also reiterated that the resistance will stand “firm with our nation against this brutal aggression.”

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