The Gaza Health Ministry reported at least 43 fatalities due to shelling.

2025-01-03 07:06:01https://svoboda.org/a/minzdrav-gazy-soobschil-o-ne-menee-43-pogibshih-v-rezuljtate-obstrelov/33261440.html

According to the statement from the agency, eleven people, including women and children, lost their lives in the Al-Mawasi area, which had previously been declared a humanitarian zone for civilians. According to the Gaza Interior Ministry, controlled by Hamas, the strike resulted in the deaths of police chief Mahmoud Salah and his aide Houssam Shahwan.

The Israeli military confirmed Shahwan's death, identifying him as the head of Hamas's internal security apparatus. The Israel Defense Forces claim that Shahwan was responsible for preparing intelligence data in coordination with elements of Hamas's military wing that participated in attacks against the IDF in the Gaza Strip. The report does not mention Salah's death.

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, another 26 people were killed in subsequent strikes. Six of them died at the Interior Ministry headquarters in Khan Younis, while the others were in refugee camps. The Israel Defense Forces stated that they targeted Hamas militants who, according to intelligence, were operating in a command-and-control center "located in the Khan Younis municipality building."

Later on Thursday, another six people were reported dead as a result of airstrikes, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

Israel is conducting a military operation in the Gaza Strip following Hamas's attack on the southern part of the country on October 7, 2023. Over 1,200 civilians were killed during that incident, and more than 250 people were taken hostage and transported to Gaza. Israel has stated that its goal is the complete destruction of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Gaza Ministry of Health claims that since the onset of hostilities, more than 45,500 Palestinians have died in the region.
Many countries accuse Israel of excessive brutality towards civilians. The Israeli military asserts that they are targeting only the group's infrastructure and claim that Hamas places its facilities in densely populated areas, using the civilian population as human shields.