Gaza’s civil defense service said on Tuesday that at least 40 people were killed and another 60 were injured after Israel struck the Mawasi area of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
The area had been designated as a humanitarian zone by Israel. Palestinian news agencies also reported that there were 40 deaths.
Israel said that its strike targeted a Hamas command center in the area. It accused Hamas of “abusing” humanitarian zones for military purposes.
Meanwhile, Jordan is holding parliamentary elections, with the kingdom’s ties with Israel a major point of contention for voters.
Jordan holds parliamentary elections amid Gaza anger
Jordan is holding parliamentary elections on Tuesday, with the war in Gaza and its effect on the country’s tourism industry being a major point of contention for voters.
Polls opened at 7:00 am (0400 UTC) local time Tuesday.
The election is the first since the passage of a reform that increased the number of seats in the house, increased the number of reserved seats for women and lowered the minimum age for candidates.
In 1994, Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel, making it the second Arab state after Egypt to do so.
Around half of the kingdom’s population is of Palestinian origin, and there have been regular protests calling for the cancelation of the treaty.
The opposition Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, has voiced its opposition to normalization with Israel.
The IAF is Jordan’s largest opposition party, but it is only presenting 38 candidates for the 138-seat assembly.
Jordan has seen a decline of tourism since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7. The sector provides around 14% of the kingdom’s GDP.
Jordan’s parliament has limited power, with King Abdullah II having the final say on policy decisions.
