Israeli airstrike kills 3 Gaza policemen pursuing thieves, collaborators: Gaza Interior Ministry

Mohamed Majed and Mohammad Sio

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - An Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinian policemen and an unspecified number of civilians in western Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Thursday evening, the Gaza Interior Ministry announced.

The strike targeted a police vehicle pursuing “a group of thieves and collaborators with Israel” in the Asdaa area, the ministry said in a statement.

Despite daily Israeli airstrikes and killings, the Gaza police and security forces remain committed to their duties, undeterred by systematic targeting aimed at breaking their resolve, the ministry added.

Earlier on Thursday, the ministry condemned another Israeli strike on a crowd in Deir al-Balah’s market, central Gaza, which killed 18 Palestinians, including police and security personnel.

The ministry stated that the attack targeted officers regulating the market and chasing thieves attempting to steal civilian property, resulting in numerous casualties, including police.

The ministry accused Israel of pursuing “malicious plans” to destabilize Gaza by repeatedly targeting security forces to hinder their efforts to maintain internal stability and combat armed groups operating under Israeli orders, the statement concluded.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 56,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.