Gaza (Quds News Network)- An Israeli airstrike targeted a displacement tent on Thursday in the so-called “humanitarian zone” of al-Mawasi in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, killing 12 Palestinians and injuring several others. Among the victims were the chief of Gaza’s police force, his assistant, and several children.
The attack killed the chief of Gaza’s police force, Mahmud Salah, and his deputy, Hussam Shahwan.
Salah was a veteran officer who had spent 30 years in the force, serving six years as its chief.
Gaza’s Interior Ministry condemned the killings, saying the two police officers had been “performing their humanitarian and national duty in serving our people”. It accused Israel of spreading “chaos” and deepening the “human suffering” in Gaza with the deadly strike.
“The police force is a civil protection force that works to provide services to citizens,” the ministry statement added.
A video clip from the aftermath of the attack, which also wounded about 15, showed people searching for survivors among burning tents, and scattered debris.
The Israeli military gave no warning for Thursday’s predawn attack on al-Mawasi which has been heavily targeted in recent weeks.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have taken shelter in al-Mawasi who had followed Israel’s forced evacuation orders soon after the assault broke out in October 2023.
Al-Mawasi witnessed several deadly Israeli attacks, including a devastating attack on July 13, when Israeli air strikes on displaced Palestinians killed at least 88 and wounded 289 others, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
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Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), decried the Thursday attack.
“As the year begins, we got reports of yet another attack on al-Mawasi with dozens of people killed, another reminder that there is no humanitarian zone let alone a safe zone [in Gaza]”, Lazzarini, said in a post on X. “Everyday without a ceasefire will bring more tragedy.”
