Gaza civil servants are systematically targeted by Israeli attacks

Decoding “repeat attacks” and “routine targeting” of law enforcement personnel in Gaza, OHCHR said they were killed while directing traffic and patrolling busy streets and markets.

This “systematic targeting” of key public institutions and workers has led to the collapse of civil and public order since the Hamas-led terror attack in Israel sparked war in Gaza on October 7, 2023, said Mayy El Sheikh, spokesperson for OHCHR in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Obligations ignored

“Israel as an occupying power actually has obligations under international law to guarantee civil and public order for Palestinians living under occupation… targeting them, unless they directly participate in attacks or hostilities, is futile war crimeshe insisted.

Since January 2026, OHCHR has recorded at least 12 attacks on police, killing more than 53 civilians including 35 police personnel, five boys, and one woman. Four attacks were recorded in May alone, killing 12 police officers.

The UN office noted that the pattern of attacks raised concerns that Israeli forces “do not differentiate” between police personnel and fighters belonging to armed groups in Gaza.

“Nearly eight months have passed since the ceasefire announcement, and there is no end in sight to the killing, chaos and misery,” said Ajith Sunghay, Head of the OHCHR in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The alleged incidents include:

• May 23 – An Israeli attack on a police checkpoint in Al Tawam, Gaza City, killed at least five police officers and two others, including a boy.
• April 24, 2026 – An Israeli drone attack on a police vehicle in Al Mawasi camp, west of Khan Younis, killed four police officers and four civilians, including a nine-year-old boy.
• January 31, 2026 – Israeli airstrikes on Ash Sheikh Radwan Police Station, Gaza City, killed 11 people, including five police officers and a boy.

This warning comes as the humanitarian disaster in Gaza continues. Currently, more than 1.9 million Palestinians out of the 2.4 million total population living in the enclave have been uprooted as a result of wars, many of which have occurred multiple times. At least 1.2 million of them are homeless, according to the UN aid coordination office. Ocha.

‘Suspended in a nightmare’

For many people, the ceasefire between Hamas fighters and the Israeli military has not brought salvation. Transfer orders continue to be issued “and Israeli forces in Gaza continue to destroy whatever remains of the built environment too”, said Ms El Sheikh of OHCHR UN News.

“Gaza is still stuck in a nightmare that is difficult to reconcile with a ceasefire,” he stressed. “Palestinians in Gaza live in a small area, and they are surrounded on all sides by Israeli ground forces who continue to attack Palestinian communities and contract the space available to civilians.”