Israel kills Hamas-led police official in Gaza: medics

An Israeli air strike has killed the head of the Hamas-led police force in the northern Gaza Strip, Brigadier-General Abdel-Nasser al-Maqadma, according to reporting by The Courier and Oman Observer. Maqadma, who was also known as the governor of the northern Gaza Strip, was killed in the Sheikh Radwan area north of Gaza City, medics and the Hamas-run interior ministry said.

The Israeli military stated that Maqadma was additionally part of Hamas' military wing. According to the Israeli military, dozens of members of the Hamas-led police force, including senior officials, have been killed over recent months. Israel accuses many of these officers of belonging to the Hamas armed wing and posing imminent threats to Israel and its forces within the Gaza Strip.

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Hamas countered that Israeli attacks targeting the police force and its headquarters are designed to sow chaos and anarchy within the enclave, while also violating the US-brokered October ceasefire.

Casualties and Operations Across the Enclave

Medics reported that Saturday's strikes claimed multiple lives across the territory. Another Israeli strike in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip killed a Palestinian medic. Additionally, a police officer who had been wounded in an Israeli air strike the previous week succumbed to injuries and died.

Further south in Khan Younis, an Israeli air strike struck a house and killed two people. The Israeli military stated that this particular strike targeted a militant belonging to the Islamic Jihad group. Later on Saturday, a separate air strike in Khan Younis killed a high school student named Khaled al-Breim. Relatives stated that Breim was killed while attempting to bring sweets to distribute to family members and friends who had gathered at his family home to celebrate his completion of high school and preparation for university. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the student's death.

These latest casualties add to a mounting death toll. Gazan health officials report that more than 1,180 Palestinians, predominantly civilians, have been killed by Israeli attacks since the October ceasefire between Israel and Hamas militants took effect. While the truce halted full-scale fighting, it has failed to stop near-daily Israeli strikes. Over the same timeframe, four Israeli soldiers have been killed by militants inside the Gaza Strip.

Broader Conflict Context and Diplomatic Efforts

The wider war originated when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel. According to Israeli tallies, that initial attack killed 1,200 people and resulted in approximately 250 hostages being taken. Israel's subsequent military offensive has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to Gazan health officials.

Today, Israel effectively controls an estimated 64 per cent of the coastal strip, which has been reduced to ruins by a two-year military assault. Nearly all of the enclave's two million residents currently live on a tiny strip of land, mostly housed in makeshift tents or damaged buildings under Hamas control, facing dire humanitarian conditions.

International mediators representing Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United States are attempting to advance a plan for ending the conflict. The proposal, championed by US President Donald Trump, calls for the disarmament of Hamas and concurrent Israeli withdrawals. However, reports indicate little sign of progress in these diplomatic efforts.

Key Developments and Statistics

• Target: Brigadier-General Abdel-Nasser al-Maqadma, head of the northern Gaza police force and governor of northern Gaza.
• Location of Principal Strike: Sheikh Radwan area, north of Gaza City.
• Post-Ceasefire Palestinian Toll: More than 1,180 killed by Israeli attacks since the October truce.
• Post-Ceasefire Israeli Military Toll: Four soldiers killed by militants in Gaza.
• Overall Conflict Toll (Israeli): 1,200 killed and about 250 hostages taken during the initial Hamas-led attack.
• Overall Conflict Toll (Palestinian): More than 73,000 killed during the subsequent Israeli offensive.