Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on Thursday killed at least 68 Palestinians, including Mahmoud Salah, the head of Gaza’s Hamas-controlled police force, and his deputy, Hussam Shahwan. The strikes targeted a tent camp in the Al-Mawasi district, a designated humanitarian zone, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian crisis. The Hamas-run Gaza interior ministry condemned the killings, accusing Israel of escalating chaos and deepening civilian suffering.
The Israeli military confirmed conducting intelligence-based operations in Al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, aimed at Shahwan, who they claim was a senior Hamas security official in southern Gaza. However, no mention was made of Salah’s death. This latest attack highlights the intensifying conflict that has seen heavy civilian casualties.
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) expressed grave concern, with its head, Philippe Lazzarini, lamenting the absence of safe zones in Gaza. He stressed that the continuation of violence without a ceasefire would lead to further tragedies.
Elsewhere, Israeli airstrikes targeted locations across Gaza, including the Khan Younis interior ministry, Jabalia refugee camp, Shati camp, and Maghazi camp, killing 57 more Palestinians. The Israeli military stated that their operations targeted Hamas militants using residential areas as cover. Hamas denied these accusations.
The broader conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, following a deadly cross-border Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 251 hostages being taken to Gaza, has escalated dramatically. Gaza’s health ministry reports over 45,500 Palestinian deaths since the start of the war. The densely populated territory is now largely in ruins, with 2.3 million residents displaced.
Amid continued hostilities, Hamas’ ally Islamic Jihad launched rockets into southern Israel, which were intercepted. As both sides maintain their positions, calls for a ceasefire grow louder, but prospects for peace remain uncertain. The international community continues to monitor the escalating humanitarian crisis with mounting concern.
