At least 10 Palestinians were killed in two separate Israeli strikes on Wednesday, with nine bodies reported after an attack on a police headquarters in central Gaza City and one person killed at Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, medical sources and medics said.
The Gaza City attack also wounded 15 people and struck near a busy park crowded with civilians, including children, according to reporting from the scene. Those killed included the newly appointed Gaza City police chief, the director of a women’s police force and several officers.
What happened in the two attacks
Medical sources at al-Shifa Hospital said the facility received nine Palestinian bodies after the Gaza City bombardment. The earlier strike on Nuseirat refugee camp killed one Palestinian, bringing Wednesday’s reported death toll to at least 10.
The Israeli army said its air force struck two Hamas commanders in Nuseirat and later targeted a Hamas commander in Gaza City’s Tuffah area. The army did not provide evidence of the commanders’ affiliations.
Related coverage: Israeli minister urges killing 30 to 40 Palestinians nightly in Gaza.
Hamas rejects Israel’s justification
Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, condemned the attacks as what it called “a new war crime”. It rejected Israel’s description of the targets as “resistance leaders”, calling that justification baseless and accusing the Israeli government of targeting civilian police and unarmed civilians.
Hamas also accused the Israeli government of undermining efforts to prevent the war from escalating again. The claims by both sides about the identities and status of those targeted could not be independently established from the supplied material.
The strikes came amid diplomatic deadlock
The attacks occurred two days after Jared Kushner, the US president’s son-in-law and Middle East envoy, visited the region to promote a US-backed agreement intended to end the war in Gaza.
More context: Seven killed in Israeli air strike on southern Lebanon.
Kushner’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not resolve a dispute over a proposed Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in exchange for Hamas disarming. Kushner subsequently reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself and said the United States would support Israel to “finish the job” if Hamas did not disarm.
Earlier attack in Gaza City
On Tuesday, Israeli strikes killed seven people, including a child, and wounded 14 others at a crowded cafe on Gaza City’s harbour. The port had been turned into a displacement camp, according to the supplied source material.
The Israeli military again said it had targeted Hamas commanders in the enclave, without providing evidence.
Also read: Kushner presses Hamas on disarmament during Egypt talks.
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