An Israeli drone strike targeted a Hamas police unit trying to take control of a market in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah, killing at least 18 Palestinians, according to eyewitnesses and a medic who spoke to the news.
Israeli drones, according to witnesses, fired at Hamas police officers wearing masks and civilian clothes as they confronted merchants they claimed were extorting them and selling looted goods from aid trucks.
Israel was accused of committing “a new crime against a police unit tasked with maintaining public order” by the Hamas-run Ministry of Interior, which denounced the strike.
The Israeli military has been approached by the news for comment.
