An Israeli airstrike on a tent camp sheltering displaced families in southern Gaza has killed at least 11 Palestinians, including Mahmoud Salah, the Hamas-run police chief, according to medics.
Three children and two women were reportedly among those killed in the attack on al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis.
The Hamas-run Interior Ministry condemned what it described as the “assassination” of Salah and his assistant, Hussam Shahwan, stating they had been “performing their humanitarian and national duty.”
The Israeli military said it is investigating the reports.
The al-Mawasi area, designated as a “humanitarian zone” for Palestinians displaced by the ongoing conflict, has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli forces. The military accuses Hamas of using the area to conceal operatives among displaced civilians.
The strike comes amid worsening weather conditions in Gaza, where cold and wet conditions have further deteriorated living standards in makeshift camps.
In addition to the al-Mawasi incident, deadly airstrikes were reported in a Gaza City suburb, Jabalia in the north, and Bureij in central Gaza. Israeli officials said the attacks targeted locations from which rockets were fired into southern Israel as the new year began.
