Israeli Strike on Police Post in North Gaza Kills Seven, Officials Say
Image: BBC News
An Israeli strike on a police post in northern Gaza has killed seven people, according to local officials, including a senior officer in the Hamas-run police force. The attack marks another deadly incident in a region already devastated by months of conflict.
The Israeli military said the strike targeted what it described as "terrorists" operating at the location. It maintained that the site had been used for militant activity, a claim that Palestinian officials dispute, saying the facility served civilian policing functions.
Witnesses described a sudden bombardment that left the building in ruins and rescue workers scrambling to pull survivors from the rubble. The death toll included several personnel attached to the local police structure, which has continued to function under enormous strain.
The Hamas-run police force has sought to maintain order amid the collapse of formal governance in Gaza, but its members have frequently been targeted by Israeli operations that allege links to militant groups. Civilians working alongside such structures have often borne the cost.
The strike comes as international pressure grows for a durable ceasefire and the protection of non-combatants. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that strikes on infrastructure, including police and civil institutions, deepen the humanitarian crisis facing Gaza's population.
As negotiations over a broader settlement continue, incidents like this underscore the fragility of daily life in northern Gaza, where even basic security services have become front lines in the wider conflict.