Israeli air strikes kill at least 18 people, including high-ranking Gaza police

Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 18 people, including the Hamas police chief in Gaza, Palestinian officials say.

Three children, three women, and four men were killed in an Israeli bombing of a refugee camp in Muwa City, Gaza, designated as a humanitarian area early on the 2nd local time.

Gaza Police Commissioner Mahmoud Salah and his deputy Horsham Shahwan were among the dead, the hospital said.

Eight people were also killed on Salah al-Din Street in the heart of Gaza, and those killed were members of a local committee helping to escort aid.

The Israeli military says the airstrikes are aimed at a senior Hamas security official.

Hossam Shahwan, a senior police officer, claimed to have been involved in gathering information used by Hamas' armed groups to attack Israeli forces.

The Hamas government in Gaza has maintained public order by running tens of thousands of police before the outbreak of the war, but it has been targeted by Israel, which has led to the disappearance of police in most parts of the country.