17 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on police, says Gaza government

By Anadolu Staff

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - At least 17 Palestinians were killed on Friday in two separate Israeli attacks on police in the Al-Shujaiya neighborhood, east of Gaza City, the government media office reported.

In a statement, the Gaza-based Government Media Office said the Israeli forces launched an airstrike targeting police engaged in humanitarian activities at the Al-Shujaiya Sports Club. The attack resulted in the death of 10 police officers and civilians, including a woman.

In another incident, at least seven people, including a police officer his family members and bystanders, were killed in an Israeli army attack at the Al-Sanafour roundabout in Al-Shujaiya​​​​​​​ neighborhood, the statement added.

It called on international organizations to pressure the Israeli forces to “stop the war of genocide, stop the war of starvation, and stop the massacres against our Palestinian people, especially against civilians, children and women.”

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed.

More than 32,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, besides causing mass destruction, displacement, and conditions of famine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

In a Thursday order, the ICJ called on Israel to take measures “without delay” to ensure “the unhindered provision” of basic services and humanitarian assistance, including food, water, fuel, and medical supplies. The world court said, “Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine ... but that famine is setting in.”

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi