Israeli airstrike kills senior Hamas police officer in Gaza
An Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip killed a senior officer in the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, according to Palestinian medics and Hamas sources. The attack targeted a vehicle near the al-Mawasi area in western Khan Younis, killing Naseem al-Kalazani, a colonel in the Hamas-run police force who led the anti-narcotics unit in Khan Younis. At least 17 other people were wounded in the strike, medics said.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incident. The strike is part of a broader pattern of Israeli attacks on Gaza's Hamas-run police force, which the militant group has used to reinforce its control in the areas it governs, according to Reuters reporting.
Ceasefire under strain
The violence continues despite an October 2025 ceasefire brokered by the United States. Israel has conducted almost daily attacks on Palestinians, and both Israel and Hamas have blamed each other for violations. The Israeli security cabinet met earlier this week to discuss renewing the war, according to Al Jazeera.
In a separate incident, at least three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike near the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City, health officials said, bringing the day's toll to at least four. Earlier, an Israeli strike on a police post in northern Gaza killed at least five police officers and a 13-year-old boy, according to Gaza police, with at least 10 others wounded.
Casualty figures
Reported casualty numbers vary. Local medics say at least 830 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, while other reports put the figure at 850 or 883. Israel says militants have killed four of its soldiers over the same period. Since the war began in October 2023, more than 72,500 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities, most of them civilians. Some sources cite a slightly higher figure of 72,775.
Perspectives
Palestinian officials and medics describe the ongoing strikes as a continuation of Israel's military campaign despite the ceasefire, with police and security personnel deliberately targeted. Israel says its strikes are aimed at thwarting attempts by Hamas and other militant groups to stage attacks against its forces. No direct Israeli comment on the latest incident has been reported.