An Israeli airstrike on Sunday killed Colonel Wael Musa al‑Dawawi, the internal security director for Gaza’s central governorate [1].
The assassination of a high-ranking security official disrupts the internal administrative and security apparatus of the central governorate during ongoing military operations.
The strike targeted a vehicle traveling through Deir al‑Balah city [1]. According to the Gaza Strip Ministry of Interior, the attack killed al‑Dawawi and another officer, Ramez Tawfiq Abu Zariq [2].
Al‑Dawawi was 44 years old [1]. Abu Zariq was 49 [1]. In total, two people were killed in the strike [1].
Reports from the Cairo News Channel said the strike targeted the vehicle in Deir al‑Balah [3]. The Ministry of Interior in the Gaza Strip said the colonel and the officer died following the aerial bombardment [2].
Israeli forces have continued a series of targeted strikes against security and administrative leaders across the Gaza Strip. This operation in the central governorate is part of a broader strategy to dismantle the local security infrastructure. The use of precision airstrikes against moving vehicles has become a frequent tactic in these engagements.
“An Israeli airstrike on Sunday killed Colonel Wael Musa al‑Dawawi”
The killing of the internal security director for the central governorate suggests a focused effort by Israeli intelligence to degrade Gaza's internal governance and law enforcement capabilities. By targeting mid-to-high level security officials like al‑Dawawi, the military operations aim to create a leadership vacuum within the civil security sector, potentially hindering the ability of local authorities to maintain order or coordinate defense.
