Israeli military strike kills Gaza police colonel, reports Palestinian medics

Gaza Conflict: Israeli Air Strike Kills Senior Officer

A senior officer in the Gaza Interior Ministry has been killed in an Israeli air strike, according to Palestinian medics and Hamas sources. The incident occurred near the al-Mawasi area in western Khan Younis city in the south of the besieged Gaza Strip.

Naseem al-Kalazani, a colonel in the police force, was targeted in the attack, which also wounded at least 17 other people, medics reported. Al-Kalazani led the anti-narcotics force in Khan Younis, according to sources from Hamas.

Separately, Israeli forces have carried out attacks near the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City, killing at least three Palestinians, health officials at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital said. This brings the day’s death toll to at least four.

Violence in Gaza has persisted despite a US-brokered ceasefire agreement that came into effect in October. Israel continues to conduct daily attacks on Palestinians, and both sides have blamed each other for violating the agreement.

According to local medics, at least 830 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect. Israel claims that Hamas has killed four of its soldiers over the same period. The Israeli government says its strikes are aimed at thwarting attempts by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups to stage attacks against its forces.

The Israeli security cabinet met earlier this week to discuss renewing the conflict, amid pressure from the military to do so after Hamas refused to commit to Israel’s demand for full disarmament. Hamas submitted a counteroffer, insisting that its weapons be addressed as part of a framework culminating in a Palestinian state. The group also demanded that Israel cease expanding its control in Gaza and increase aid to the territory.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that humanitarian conditions are deteriorating in Gaza, with over 72,500 Palestinians killed since Israel’s military operation began in October 2023.

Source: Al Jazeera