Israeli airstrikes killed at least 43 Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday, including 11 individuals in a tent encampment sheltering displaced families, according to medics.
The fatalities included women and children in the Al-Mawasi district, designated as a humanitarian zone earlier in the war between Israel and Hamas, now in its 15th month.
Gaza’s police chief, Mahmoud Salah, and his aide, Hussam Shahwan, were also killed in the strikes, confirmed by the Hamas-run Gaza interior ministry.
“By committing the crime of assassinating the director general of police in the Gaza Strip, the occupation is insisting on spreading chaos… and deepening the human suffering of citizens,” the ministry stated.
The Israeli military said it conducted an intelligence-based strike in Al-Mawasi and targeted Shahwan, identified as Hamas’ southern Gaza security chief, but made no mention of Salah’s death.
Additional airstrikes killed at least 26 Palestinians, including six at the interior ministry headquarters in Khan Younis and others in Jabalia, Shati (Beach) camp, and Maghazi camp.
The Israeli military claimed Hamas militants were operating in a command center “embedded inside the Khan Younis municipality building in the Humanitarian Area.”
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), commented, “There is no humanitarian zone let alone a safe zone (in Gaza). Every day without a ceasefire will bring more tragedy.”
An Israeli military spokesperson said it follows international law in the conflict and takes “feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.”
Later Thursday, separate airstrikes killed six more people in Gaza City.
Israel accuses Hamas of using residential areas for cover, which Hamas denies.
Since the war began, over 45,500 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry, while much of the territory lies in ruins.