11 People, Hamas Police Chief, Killed in IDF Airstrike on Gaza

The IDF Endorsed the strike, maintaining that Hassam Shahwan was an operative implicated in plotting aggressions against Israeli forces.

The Interior Ministry, governed by Hamas, decried the killings as an “assassination” and charged Israel with creating instability and deepening the suffering of Gaza’s population. The attack marked a continuation of escalating violence, with reports of over 30 lives lost in Israeli strikes on Thursday.

According to the Gaza Interior Ministry, the police force functions as a civilian organization offering vital services, dismissing allegations made by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The BBC noted that the IDF rationalized its actions by accusing the police force of carrying out abusive interrogations and quelling opposition. Additionally, it alleged that Shahwan collaborated with Hamas’s military wing in intelligence operations targeting the IDF.

The IDF claimed in its statement that precautions had been implemented to limit civilian casualties ahead of the al-Mawasi strike, though the operation led to the deaths of nine people, including three children—Ahmed, Mohammed, and Abdul Rahman al-Bardawil. The boys were killed by flying shrapnel while sleeping in their tent. Their grieving father, Walid, told AFP of the tragic and sudden loss of his children.

onlookers detailed the severity of the strike, with neighbors noting substantial damage in the vicinity. Aida Zanoun, who lived close by, described the noise of an Apache helicopter preceding a powerful blast that wreaked havoc in the area.

Al-Mawasi, designated as a "humanitarian zone" by the IDF for displaced Palestinians, has nonetheless suffered repeated attacks. The IDF alleged that Hamas was using civilians as protective shields, while aid agencies underscored the worsening plight of those in temporary camps. Torrential rains have caused severe flooding, displacing families further and submerging their few remaining belongings in sewage.

In other developments, Israeli airstrikes hit the Gaza Interior Ministry headquarters in Khan Younis, reportedly resulting in six fatalities. The IDF asserted that the facility was functioning as a control-and-command hub for Hamas activities.

As hostilities rage on, the human cost continues to grow. Palestinian reports indicate that Thursday's airstrikes left at least 30 dead in Gaza, with areas like Jabalia, Shati refugee camp, and Gaza City bearing the brunt. The broader military offensive, initiated following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel leading to 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostages has claimed over 45,580 lives in Gaza to date.