Senior Hamas police official killed by unknown gunmen in Gaza

Gaza's interior authorities announced on Monday the killing of the head of the Khan Younis police investigations department in the southern Gaza Strip by unknown gunmen.



In a press statement, the authorities said that Mahmoud al-Astal, 40, was assassinated after being shot in the al-Mawasi area. The statement added that preliminary investigations indicated the shooting was carried out from a car by several individuals accused of collaborating with Israel.



It explained that security forces have opened an investigation into the incident and are working to track down the perpetrators.



The killing comes as Hamas announced plans to dissolve the government bodies administering the Gaza Strip and transfer their duties to an independent technocratic committee.



Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said on Saturday that the movement had made a "clear decision" to hand over administrative responsibilities, stressing the need to facilitate the committee's work and ensure its swift formation.