At least 18 Palestinians killed in Israeli drone strike

At least 18 Palestinians have been killed after an Israeli army drone strike targeted a Hamas police unit that was trying to take control of a market in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah, the BBC reported.

Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli drones opened fire on members of the Hamas police force, dressed in civilian clothes and wearing masks, who were confronting merchants who accused them of raising prices and selling goods looted from aid trucks.  

The Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry condemned the attacks, accusing Israel of committing "a new crime against a police unit tasked with maintaining public order."

The incident occurred at a time when the civilian population in the Gaza Strip continues to face difficulties in obtaining food, with shootings reported almost daily in and around the distribution points of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), supported by the United States of America and Israel, while limited goods on the market are sold at very high prices. 

The foundation, which has been accused by international aid organizations of violating humanitarian principles, received an additional $30 million in funding on Thursday from the United States, which has supported Israeli efforts to turn it into the largest aid organization in Gaza.

The Israeli military has not yet responded to the BBC's request for comment on the case.