Tragic Tensions: Airstrike in Gaza Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Conflict

An Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip killed at least 10 Palestinians in a tent encampment providing refuge to families. The attack, part of continued conflict between Israel and Hamas, also resulted in the deaths of Gaza's police chief Mahmoud Salah, his aide, and 15 injuries.

In a dramatic escalation early Thursday, an Israeli airstrike claimed the lives of at least 10 Palestinians, including women and children, in the southern Gaza Strip. The victims had been sheltering in a tent encampment designated as a humanitarian zone amid the long-standing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Confirmed fatalities included Mahmoud Salah, the director general of Gaza's police department, and his aide, Hussam Shahwan. The Hamas-run Gaza interior ministry condemned the attack, accusing the occupation of perpetrating chaos and exacerbating the human suffering in the region.

Official Israeli military statements described the operation as an intelligence-based strike targeting Shahwan, identified as a key figure in Hamas security forces. Notably, the statement omitted any reference to Salah, amid ongoing war efforts reportedly resulting in over 45,500 Palestinian casualties since the conflict's October 2023 escalation.

(With inputs from agencies.)