JERUSALEM, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Monday that its air force killed the deputy commander of Hamas's naval police in Gaza.
According to the IDF, Iyad Abu Yusuf was targeted in a precision strike on a refugee camp area in central Gaza. The army said Yusuf had participated in the deadly Hamas raid in southern Israel in October 2023 and later planned ambushes against Israeli forces while safeguarding Hamas's assets during the ongoing conflict.
Also on Monday, the Israeli military ordered the evacuation of the Jordanian Hospital, a key health facility in Gaza, according to a Palestinian health official.
Meanwhile, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that Israeli airstrikes since dawn Monday have killed and injured multiple civilians across Gaza. Medical sources said several family members were killed when Israeli aircraft struck a home in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City. A separate strike on a vehicle east of Al-Zawaida town in central Gaza killed a child and wounded others.
Gaza's health authorities said the death toll from Israel's offensive, ongoing since Oct. 7, 2023, has climbed to 65,344, with 166,795 wounded.
The latest development came as Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal recognized the State of Palestine on Sunday. France and Belgium are expected to follow suit on Monday, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly meeting. ■
