Israeli strike kills colonel in Gaza police force, say Palestinian medics
TL;DR
An Israeli air strike in Gaza killed Colonel Naseem al-Kalazani, a senior officer in the police force, and wounded at least 17 others. The attack occurred in Khan Younis, escalating violence in the region with at least four reported deaths on the same day.
Key points
- Israeli air strike killed Colonel Naseem al-Kalazani
- Attack wounded at least 17 others
- Strike occurred in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip
- Al-Kalazani led the anti-narcotics force
- At least four Palestinians killed on the same day
Mentioned in this story
A senior officer in Gaza’s Interior Ministry has been killed in an Israeli air strike, according to Palestinian medics and Hamas sources.
The medics on Wednesday said Naseem al-Kalazani, a colonel in the police force, was killed in a targeted Israeli strike on his vehicle near the al-Mawasi area in western Khan Younis city in the south of the besieged Gaza Strip.
The attack wounded at least 17 other people, they added.
Al-Kalazani led the anti-narcotics force in Khan Younis, said sources from the armed group Hamas.
Meanwhile, Israel intensified its attacks, killing at least three Palestinians near the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City, health officials at the territory’s al-Ahli Arab Hospital said, bringing the day’s death toll to at least four.
There was no immediate comment from Israel on any of the attacks.
Violence in Gaza has persisted despite a United States-brokered “ceasefire” in the Israel-Palestine conflict that came into effect in October. Israel is continuing to conduct almost daily attacks on Palestinians, and Israel and Hamas have blamed each other for violations of the agreement.
At least 830 Palestinians have been killed during the “ceasefire”, according to local medics, while Israel says Hamas has killed four of its soldiers over the same period.
Israel says its strikes are aimed at thwarting attempts by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups to stage attacks against its forces.
Israel’s security cabinet met earlier this week to discuss renewing the genocidal war, amid the military’s increasing pressure to do so, after Hamas refused to commit to Israel’s demand for full disarmament.
Hamas submitted a counteroffer, insisting that its weapons only be addressed as part of a framework culminating in a Palestinian state. Hamas also demanded that Israel cease expanding its control in Gaza and increase the flow of aid there.
While there has been a small uptick in aid entering Gaza since the reopening of the Zikim crossing, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that humanitarian conditions are still deteriorating.
More than 72,500 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023.
Q&A
Who was Colonel Naseem al-Kalazani and what was his role?
Colonel Naseem al-Kalazani was a senior officer in Gaza's Interior Ministry and led the anti-narcotics force in Khan Younis.
What were the consequences of the Israeli air strike in Gaza?
The air strike killed Colonel al-Kalazani and wounded at least 17 others, contributing to a total of four reported deaths that day.
Where did the Israeli air strike targeting al-Kalazani take place?
The strike occurred near the al-Mawasi area in western Khan Younis city in the southern Gaza Strip.
