An Israeli airstrike targeted a designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza, killing at least 11 people, including three children and two women as displaced Palestinians continue to suffer from harsh winter conditions.
Early on Thursday morning, the strike hit a tent in the al-Mawasi area, near Khan Yunis, where displaced Palestinian families have been seeking shelter from the war.
The area, which has faced repeated bombardment, was supposed to be a ‘safe zone’ according to Israeli military declarations. The attack also left 15 others wounded, with rescue teams working through the debris in search of survivors.
"Eleven people were martyred, including three children and two women, and 15 were injured after the occupation aircraft bombed a tent housing displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Yunis city in the southern Gaza Strip," Gaza's civil defence agency said in a statement.
The airstrike on al-Mawasi also killed two senior police officers, including Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Salah, the general director of Gaza’s police force, and his deputy, Brig. Gen. Hossam Shahwan.
Gaza's interior ministry condemned the attack, saying "the occupation continues to spread chaos in the Strip and deepen the human suffering of citizens. The police force is a civil protection force that works to provide services to citizens".
Salah served in his role for 30 years and was appointed chief of police six years ago. The Israeli military did not comment on the incident.
Despite being designated as ‘safe zones’, the humanitarian areas in Gaza, including al-Mawasi, have been targeted by Israel repeatedly.
Days earlier, Israeli forces advanced into the area from the southern city of Rafah and ordered mass evacuations from other parts of the territory, such as Jabalia in northern Gaza.
On New Year's Day, Israeli airstrikes across Gaza killed at least 26 people, including women and children, while others remain missing in the rubble. The Palestinian Wafa news agency said most of the victims of the attack on north Gaza's Jabalia were children.
This comes as Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz warned on Wednesday that Israel will step up its strikes in Gaza if Hamas keeps up its rocket fire at Israel.
"If Hamas does not soon allow the release of the Israeli hostages from Gaza... and continues firing at Israeli communities, it will face blows of an intensity not seen in Gaza for a long time," he said in a statement after visiting the town of Netivot, which was recently targeted by rocket fire from Gaza.
Seventh infant dies from cold
Meanwhile, the harsh winter and storms have added to the misery of displaced Palestinians, with the seventh infant dying from the cold, according to Al Jazeera.
Temperatures are dropping below 10°C (50°F) at night, with the death toll from hypothermia now reaching eight.
Gaza's humanitarian crisis continues to worsen, with at least 45,553 Palestinians killed since Israel launched a punishing war on Gaza in October 2023.
The devastation of civilian infrastructure, combined with the ongoing Israeli bombardment, has left many without access to food, water, or medical supplies. Hospitals in the region are overwhelmed, and critical services are struggling to keep pace with the growing number of casualties.
International calls for a ceasefire have intensified, but these have yet to lead to meaningful change.