Key facts
- Colonel Jamal Abu Kamil, head of Gaza City's police, was killed in an Israeli drone strike.
- Brigadier-General Abdel-Nasser al-Maqadma, head of police in northern Gaza, was killed in a separate Israeli air strike.
- Gaza's Interior Ministry accuses Israel of deliberately targeting police to spread chaos.
- Hamas condemned the killings as an attempt to destabilize the enclave and violate the ceasefire.
- 53 police personnel have been killed since a ceasefire took effect in October 2025, according to Gaza's Interior Ministry.
- Over 1,180 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks since the October 2025 ceasefire.
Colonel Jamal Abu Kamil, the head of Gaza City's police force, was killed in an Israeli drone strike on Thursday, according to Gaza's Interior Ministry. Two other individuals were critically wounded in the same attack. The Israeli army confirmed the killing, claiming Abu Kamil was a Hamas commander who infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 attack.
In a separate incident, Brigadier-General Abdel-Nasser al-Maqadma, head of the police force in northern Gaza, was killed in an Israeli air strike. Gaza's Interior Ministry condemned these actions, stating that the targeting of police personnel is a deliberate strategy "with the aim of spreading chaos in the Gaza Strip." The ministry reported that 53 police commanders, officers, and personnel have been killed in direct Israeli attacks since a ceasefire agreement took effect in October 2025.
Hamas echoed these accusations, stating that Israeli attacks on the police force are intended to destabilize the enclave and violate the U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The ministry also noted that since the ceasefire, Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of over 1,180 Palestinians, mostly civilians.
These incidents occurred amidst a broader wave of Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, which resulted in multiple Palestinian casualties. Mediators, including Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States, are reportedly working to advance a plan for ending the conflict.