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Israeli military says kills 2 Islamic Jihad commanders as Gaza City strike leaves 5 dead

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Israeli military says kills 2 Islamic Jihad commanders as Gaza City strike leaves 5 dead

2026-10-04 09:06 Last Updated At:10:17

The Israeli military said Saturday that it had killed two commanders in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's rocket array in two strikes in Gaza City, while Palestinian sources said a separate Israeli strike killed five people in the city early Saturday.

According to an Israeli military statement, the two men targeted on Friday were Ahmed Mahmoud Harb Ramlawi, a commander in the rocket array of the Islamic Jihad's Shuja'iyya Battalion, and Munir Ibrahim Masr, the head of an anti-tank missile cell in the group's military wing.

The Israeli military claimed that, both recently and throughout the war, the two men had worked to restore the organization's military capabilities, which it described as a systematic violation of the ceasefire agreement.

The military added that measures were taken before the strikes to reduce the risk of harm to civilians, including the use of precision-guided munitions and aerial surveillance.

Separately, five Palestinians, including four women, were killed early Saturday in an Israeli strike on a residential apartment west of Gaza City, Palestinian sources said.

The sources said the victims were taken to Al-Shifa Medical Complex after the ground-floor apartment in the Al-Asala building was struck. Several other people were injured.

The strike caused extensive damage to the building, which housed several families, according to residents and eyewitnesses.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the strike that killed the five Palestinians, describing it in a statement as part of what it called continuing Israeli "war crimes" against Palestinians.

Israel's state-run Kan TV News reported that the Israeli military had attempted to assassinate senior Hamas official Ali Ahmed Al-Amoudi during the overnight airstrike in the Gaza Strip.

On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the media reports that it attacked Al-Amoudi. It did not indicate whether Al-Amoudi was harmed, noting that the results of the airstrike are still under investigation.

The strike was launched while Al-Amoudi was in an apartment allegedly used by Hamas for "terror activities," the IDF said.

It claimed that Al-Amoudi, the deputy chairman of Hamas's political bureau, is the most senior Hamas figure in the Gaza Strip and allegedly served as the personal assistant to former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed two years ago by the Israeli military.

Al-Amoudi was also involved in the decision-making surrounding the Oct 7, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel, the IDF added.

Gaza-based health authorities reported on Saturday that hospitals in the Gaza Strip had received seven fatalities and 20 injuries over the past 48 hours.

According to the health authorities, 1,445 people have been killed and 5,072 wounded since the ceasefire took effect in Oct 2025, while the total toll since Oct 7, 2023 stands at 74,228 killed and 175,188 wounded.

Israeli military says kills 2 Islamic Jihad commanders as Gaza City strike leaves 5 dead

Israeli military says kills 2 Islamic Jihad commanders as Gaza City strike leaves 5 dead

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's campaign has asked the country's top electoral court to investigate whether the U.S. decision to suspend consular services ahead of Sunday's presidential election was related to security concerns or constituted election interference, local media reported Saturday.

The petition, filed by Lula's Brasil Pronto Pra Mais coalition with the Superior Electoral Court, argues that the suspension could have portrayed Brazil as unstable on the eve of the vote and benefits opposition candidate Flavio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party.

The U.S. Embassy announced Thursday that consular services at the embassy and its consulates in Brazil would be suspended starting Friday, citing "security concerns" without elaborating. U.S. citizens were advised not to visit U.S. diplomatic facilities, while diplomatic personnel were instructed to work remotely.

The Lula campaign's petition requests an investigation into whether opposition figures had coordinated with U.S. government officials in connection with the suspension.

Lula campaign asks Brazil's top electoral court to probe U.S. consular service suspension

Lula campaign asks Brazil's top electoral court to probe U.S. consular service suspension

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