Head of Hamas-led police in northern Gaza killed by Israeli strike

An Israeli air strike in the Sheikh Radwan area north of Gaza City on Saturday killed Brigadier-General Abdel-Nasser Al-Maqadma, who held dual roles as head of the Hamas-led police force in northern Gaza and governor of the region. The Israeli military stated that Al-Maqadma was also affiliated with Hamas's military wing. The strike was one of several conducted by Israel on Saturday that resulted in additional Palestinian casualties.

A Palestinian medic was killed in the Nuseirat refugee camp during the operations, while two civilians died in a house strike in Khan Younis. Israel's military indicated the Khan Younis house was targeted due to the presence of an Islamic Jihad member. Later that day, another air strike in Khan Younis killed Khaled Al-Breim, a high school student who had recently completed his secondary education and was preparing for university. According to relatives, Al-Breim was distributing sweets to celebrate his graduation when he was struck.

A sixth fatality occurred when a policeman who had been wounded in an earlier Israeli strike died from his injuries on Saturday. In recent months, Israel has conducted numerous operations against members of the Hamas-led police force, with Israeli officials asserting that many were connected to Hamas's armed wing and posed an active security threat.

Hamas has characterized these operations as deliberate targeting intended to destabilize the Gaza enclave and as violations of a US-brokered ceasefire agreement reached in October. According to Gaza's health ministry, Israeli attacks since the ceasefire agreement have resulted in over 1,180 Palestinian deaths, predominantly civilians. During the same period, four Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza-based attacks.