Gaza police chief, deputy assassinated in Israeli attack on humanitarian zone
An Israeli airstrike on a tent camp sheltering displaced families in the southern part of the Gaza Strip has killed the chief of police force in the coastal territory Mahmoud Salah along with his deputy Hussam Shahwan and several others, including children.
The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement said on Thursday that they lost their lives in the attack on the al-Mawasi “humanitarian zone” west of the city of Khan Younis.
Medics said 11 people, including three children and two women, were killed in the Israeli air attack, and that 15 others were wounded.
The Gaza Interior Ministry condemned the killing of the two police officers, saying “they were performing their humanitarian and national duty in serving our people”.
“By committing the assassination, the occupation continues to spread chaos in the Strip and deepen the human suffering of citizens. The police force is a civil protection force that works to provide services to citizens,” it said.
The ministry noted that Salah spent 30 years in the police and was appointed its chief six years ago.
The Israeli military confirmed it had carried out a strike targeting Shahwan, who it said had helped Hamas's military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades plan attacks on Israeli forces in Gaza.
PRC: Assassination of police officers meant to destabilize Gaza
For its part, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) denounced the killing of the two police officers, stating that such a brutal act was meant to destabilize Gaza and upset national Palestinian unity.
“Two great commanders, Mahmoud Salah and Hussam Shahwan, attained martyrdom on the path to al-Quds. This occurred during the terrorist and cowardly assault by enemy warplanes on the refugee tent in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis,” the PRC said in a statement.
“We praise the role of the great commander Salah and his brilliant approach. This martyr played a significant role in setting up the Palestinian police in Gaza and supporting the resistance.”
The statement emphasized that the assassination of the police chiefs was carried out with the aim of creating chaos and insecurity, and destroying national unity in Gaza in order to implement the evil objectives and schemes of Zionists against Palestinians in Gaza.
The police will remain a strong shield and supporter of our nation and its courageous resistance front, the PRC pointed out.
Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza has taken the lives of at least 45,581 Palestinians and injured another 108,438 individuals.
Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced and much of the besieged territory is in ruins.
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