The armed offensive launched by Israel, considered as the most severe since 2014, has destroyed hundreds of homes in Palestine, left at least 149 dead including 41 children and more than 1,000 are reportedly wounded.

Israel appears to have stepped up strikes in recent days to inflict as much damage as possible on Hamas as international mediators try to broker a cease-fire. But targeting the group’s leaders could hinder those efforts.

It might seem an odd proposition at an odd time given that major airlines have suspended flights to Israel amid the flare-up in violence and while the spread of coronavirus remains a threat.

The last time such an attack took place, on July 25, the Israeli army retaliated with air strikes on targets of the Islamist movement Hamas, which rules the Palestinian enclave.