Israel Kills Palestinian Police Commander to Spread Chaos

Gaza’s Interior Ministry on Saturday said Israel is deliberately targeting the Palestinian police force to spread chaos in the enclave after the killing of the police chief of North Gaza governorate.

In a statement, the ministry said the killing of Brig. Gen. Abdul Nasser Mohammed Al-Maqadma reflected Israel’s continued targeting of the police force “with the aim of spreading chaos in the Gaza Strip.”

It stated that 53 police commanders, officers and personnel have been killed in direct Israeli attacks on police headquarters, patrols, vehicles and personnel since the ceasefire agreement took effect in October last year.

The ministry called on the international community and mediating countries to intervene urgently and pressure Israel to stop targeting the police, describing the force as “a civilian institution protected under international law” that is responsible for maintaining public order and serving residents as reported by Anadolu.

It said Al-Maqadma’s killing came less than two weeks after an Israeli strike on the Jabalia refugee camp police station on July 14 that killed seven police officers, including the station chief and his deputy, Yamen Mohammed Obeid, who died of his wounds on Saturday.

The ministry vowed that the police would continue carrying out their duties despite repeated attacks.

Earlier Saturday, the ministry announced that Al-Maqadma, 54, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in northwestern Gaza City.

Separately, the Israeli army carried out massive demolitions of Palestinian homes and buildings in areas under its control east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 1,191 Palestinians have been killed and 3,853 others injured in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire agreement took effect in October.

Israel has continued its military offensive on Gaza since Oct. 8, 2023. According to Palestinian authorities, the war has killed more than 73,000 people and wounded over 173,000, while causing widespread destruction to civilian infrastructure across the enclave.