Hamas says Israel's killing of senior commander threatens ceasefire

Israel's assassination of a senior Hamas commander threatens the viability of the Gaza ceasefire, the chief negotiator of the group said on Sunday, calling on US President Donald Trump to demand Israel comply with the terms of the truce.

Thousands of Hamas supporters rallied in central Gaza City at a funeral for senior commander Raad Saaf and three others killed alongside him on Saturday.

The mourners chanted "Martyrs are dear to God" and carried the bodies in coffins draped in green Hamas flags.

In a televised address, Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, who lives in exile, confirmed the killing of Saad, the highest-profile assassination of a senior Hamas figure since the truce.

"The continued Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement... and latest assassinations that targeted Saed and others threaten the viability of the agreement," Hayya said. 

"We call on mediators, and especially the main guarantor, the U.S. administration and President Donald Trump, to work on obliging Israel to respect the ceasefire and commit to it."

Reporting by Reuters