Gaza authorities say Israeli special forces abducted security officer in Gaza City raid

GAZA CITY, Palestine (MNTV) – Israeli special forces “abducted” a Palestinian Internal Security officer while he was carrying out his routine duties Tuesday in western Gaza City, according to the Interior Ministry in the Gaza Strip.

Maeen Mohammed al-Arabid was wounded in a clash with Israeli special forces, while his wife was killed and several of his children were injured, it said.

In a statement detailing the Israeli operation in the al-Katiba area, the ministry said the Israeli army launched a barrage of airstrikes against the area early Tuesday involving dozens of warplanes of various types.

Under the cover of the bombardment, an Israeli special force infiltrated the area using civilian vehicles, it said.

The force “abducted” al-Arabid after he was wounded during an exchange of fire with the unit.

The ministry said the operation also killed several Palestinians, including children, and wounded many others.

It said al-Arabid “was carrying out his routine duties as part of his service to our people and efforts to maintain security and civil peace in the Gaza Strip.”

The ministry accused Israel of continuing to target the territory’s security and police apparatus for three years, saying hundreds of ministry and police commanders, officers and personnel have been killed.

It said attacks on the police and Internal Security services had intensified since a ceasefire agreement was reached in October 2025 because of their role in “maintaining security, protecting civil peace and supporting citizens.”

The ministry also warned against “being drawn into the (Israeli) occupation’s narratives about the incident” and misleading reports circulated by Israeli intelligence agencies.

It urged mediators and guarantors of the ceasefire agreement to pressure Israel to halt its attacks and continued targeting of the Interior Ministry’s security agencies.

Three Palestinians were killed and more than 20 others, including children, were injured in intensive Israeli strikes earlier Tuesday in the Al-Katiba area west of Gaza City, medical sources told Anadolu.

Witnesses said more than 16 strikes were carried out in less than 30 minutes, alongside heavy Israeli gunfire and intensive flights by warplanes and drones.

Ismail al-Thawabta, director-general of Gaza’s government media office, said an Israeli special forces unit had attempted to carry out a security operation inside the city but was detected, prompting the Israeli army to provide air cover. He said the operation resulted in Palestinian deaths and injuries as well as the deaths of several members of the special forces unit.

The Israeli army, meanwhile, said it had struck “a number of targets” in Gaza City to “remove threats” to its forces. It denied that its troops were injured. Defense Minister Israel Katz also claimed that Israeli forces had detained a “senior Hamas leader” but did not identify him.

Al-Katiba is one of the most densely populated areas for displaced Palestinians in western Gaza. It includes the American Hospital, universities and commercial businesses, increasing the risks to civilians and triggering panic among Palestinians and displaced people living in tents in the area and nearby.

Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement have killed 1,318 Palestinians and wounded 4,375 others, while rescue teams have recovered hundreds of bodies from under the rubble, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

As of Tuesday, Israel’s genocide on Gaza since October 2023 had killed about 73,462 Palestinians and wounded 174,509 others, according to the ministry.