Israel killed Hamas naval commander Iyad Abu Yusuf in a Gaza airstrike on September 22, 2025, amid ongoing operations and civilian casualties.

On September 22, 2025, Israel conducted a precision airstrike in central Gaza that killed Iyad Abu Yusuf, deputy commander of Hamas’s naval police, according to the IDF. The strike, supported by intelligence from the Israeli Navy and coordinated with air and ground forces, targeted Abu Yusuf, linked to the October 7 Hamas attack and subsequent ambush planning. The operation is part of Israel’s broader campaign to dismantle Hamas’s naval infrastructure. On the same day, Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of Gaza’s Jordanian Hospital, and airstrikes across Gaza killed several civilians, including a family in Al-Sabra and a child near Al-Zawaida. Gaza’s health authorities reported over 65,000 dead and 166,000 injured since October 7, 2023. Meanwhile, several nations recognized Palestine, signaling a shift in international diplomatic dynamics.