Jerusalem, Dec 24 (NationPress) The military forces of Israel, alongside the Shin Bet security agency, reported the elimination of Muhammad Ahmed Albec, the leader of the National Security Directorate of Hamas' Security Services, in an airstrike targeting a school in Gaza.

According to Palestinian health officials, the airstrike on Sunday at the Musa bin Nusair school in the Daraj al-Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City resulted in at least eight fatalities, as the institution was sheltering displaced individuals.

The Israeli military and Shin Bet asserted in a collaborative statement that a Hamas command center was situated within the school's premises, which was engaged by the Air Force, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.

"The Security Directorate of Hamas formulates intelligence assessments that support Hamas' decision-making processes, and it is also tasked with the protection of high-ranking Hamas officials, providing them safe havens to maintain their military operations," the statement elaborated. It characterized Albec as a key figure within Hamas' security framework.

In a separate incident, two individuals lost their lives and another was injured on Monday following an Israeli drone strike in the village of Taybeh, situated in southern Lebanon, as per official media and military sources.

The National News Agency disclosed that the airstrike targeted a gathering near a school in Taybeh.

According to a representative from the Lebanese Red Cross, the organization transported two deceased individuals and an injured person from Taybeh to a medical facility in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon.

A military source from Lebanon, who requested anonymity, indicated that an Israeli drone discharged an air-to-ground missile at a public area adjacent to the school in Taybeh, resulting in two fatalities and one injury.

The Israeli army also directed heavy machine gun fire towards the outskirts of the town of Naqoura in southern Lebanon, as reported by the source.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) released a statement on Monday urging all parties to cease violations of UN resolution 1701 and to avoid actions that could jeopardize the fragile stability and cessation of hostilities.

"UNIFIL strongly encourages the expedited withdrawal of the Israeli army from southern Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army in that area," the statement emphasized.

A ceasefire, negotiated by the US and France, was implemented on November 27, aiming to conclude nearly 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

The ceasefire agreement stipulates Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory within 60 days, the positioning of the Lebanese army along the Lebanese-Israeli border and in southern Lebanon to assume security responsibilities, and a prohibition on the presence of weapons and militants in the region.