An Israeli drone strike on Sunday killed three Palestinian police officers east of the southern Gaza city of Rafah in a violation of the ceasefire agreement, Gaza’s Interior Ministry said.
The Interior Ministry said the policemen had been in the area to secure aid shipments entering Gaza. “The ministry … condemns this crime and calls upon the mediators and the international community to compel the occupation to stop targeting the police force, which is a civil apparatus,” the ministry said in a statement, according to Reuters.
Hamas also released a statement condemning the strike. “The treacherous firing carried out by a Zionist drone this morning east of Rafah city, targeting police elements tasked with securing the entry of aid… is considered a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement,” the Palestinian group said.
The Israeli military acknowledged the strike, saying its aircraft bombed several armed individuals it claimed were “moving toward troops in the southern Gaza Strip.”
Throughout its genocidal war in Gaza, Israel regularly targeted the police force in Gaza, making it impossible for aid deliveries to be secured. In November, Haaretz reported that Israel was letting armed gangs loot aid shipments and even fired on police when they tried to stop the looters.
Since the Gaza ceasefire went into effect on January 19, Israeli forces have killed around 100 Palestinians inside the Strip.
