Israeli Strike Kills Seven at Gaza Police Post Amid Ceasefire Violations

Gaza, Palestine — Ekhbary News Agency

An Israeli air strike on a Hamas-run police post in northern Gaza resulted in the deaths of at least seven people, including a senior officer and a woman, according to health and police officials. This incident occurred near a bustling market in Jabalia, a densely populated area.

Casualties and Conflicting Accounts

Witnesses reported an Israeli drone fired four missiles at the target. The Hamas-run interior ministry condemned the strike as a "massacre," identifying Colonel Mohammed Marwan Salem, head of the local police station, among the deceased officers. Conversely, the Israeli military stated Marwan was the head of military security for Hamas's Central Jabalia Battalion, claiming three other "terrorists"—Abdul Malik al-Jabin, Ghassan al-Daqas, and Yaman Abu Obeida—were also killed; the first two were identified as police officers. Mohammed Moussa, an uncle of another deceased officer, insisted his nephew was a civilian police member on patrol, questioning the targeting.

Further Incidents and Ceasefire Tensions

Separately, two more individuals were reportedly killed by Israeli fire in southern Gaza on Tuesday. Medics in Khan Younis reported an air strike killed one man and injured three others, while the Israeli military confirmed hitting a Hamas operative there. In nearby Rafah, a 10-year-old boy, Muataz Abu Shaar, died from Israeli gunfire; his aunt, Suzan Abu Shaar, lamented the constant danger, stating he was "sitting in his tent, getting changed." The Israeli military has not yet commented on the Rafah incident. Both Israel and Hamas routinely accuse each other of violating the ceasefire established last October, highlighting the fragile nature of peace in the territory, for what it's worth. Gaza's health ministry reports over 73,230 fatalities since the October 7, 2023, conflict began, which was triggered by Hamas's attack that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages.