Hamas says woman in political leadership killed in Israeli strike

The first woman elected to Hamas's political leadership has been killed in an Israeli strike on the Gaza Strip, the militant group said Thursday.

Jamila Al-Shantee, 64, was killed Wednesday evening in Jabalia, in northern Gaza, Hamas said.

She became the first woman to be elected to the movement's political bureau, composed of 20 members, following an internal ballot in 2021.

Another woman, Fatima Shurab, joined the political top brass at the same time, through an automatic appointment as president of its women's commission.

Their inclusion in the leadership was interpreted at the time as a positive signal to the international community, indicating the Islamist group's apparent openness to female representation.

Shantee had a long history in Palestinian politics, having been elected in 2006 to the Palestinian Authority's parliament.

The chamber has not met since Hamas ousted the PA from Gaza and took power in 2007, prompting Israel to intensify a crippling blockade imposed on the territory.

Shantee is one of multiple Hamas members killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since October 7, when militants from the group launched a multi-pronged attack across the border.

The majority of more than 1,400 people killed in Israel during the war were civilians in border communities hit by Hamas.

Relentless Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed around 3,500 people, mostly civilians, according to health officials in the Hamas-run territory.