Palestinian officer killed, 15 injured in Israeli strike on police vehicle in Gaza

A Palestinian police officer was killed, and 15 people were injured Wednesday in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a police vehicle in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis.

Israel has recently intensified strikes targeting police personnel in the enclave, with Palestinian authorities accusing it of deliberately attacking the force to deepen and prolong the security chaos.

Gaza's Interior Ministry said in a statement that Col. Naseem Suleiman al-Kalzani was killed when an Israeli strike hit a police vehicle late Wednesday.

The strike targeted the vehicle as it was passing through the crowded al-Mawasi area, which is packed with displaced Palestinians, killing one passenger and injuring numerous bystanders, witnesses told Anadolu.

In several previous statements, Gaza's Interior Ministry held Israel "fully responsible" for targeting "police headquarters, capabilities and personnel," describing the continued attacks as a "flagrant violation" of international law.

The ministry said there was "no justification" for targeting police officers in Gaza, stressing that the force provides civilian services in the territory.

It also urged mediators and guarantors of the ceasefire to intervene urgently and pressure Israel to stop targeting the police force.

The ministry also described the silence of international organizations as "complicity with the Israeli occupation that encourages further crimes against a civilian body protected under international law."

The strike comes amid continued Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement that has been in effect since Oct. 10, 2025. Israeli attacks and gunfire since then have killed 824 Palestinians and injured 2,316 since the deal was signed, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

The agreement was reached after two years of a genocidal war launched by Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, which left more than 72,000 Palestinians dead, over 172,000 injured and caused massive destruction to 90% of civilian infrastructure in Gaza.