US asks Israel to stop killing police officers escorting aid convoys in Gaza

The Biden administration has asked Israel to stop targeting civilian police officers in Gaza who are ensuring the safety and security of aid trucks.

It has warned that a "total breakdown of law and order" as a result of the Israeli onslaught on the besieged strip is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis, according to three US and Israeli officials speaking to the American news outlet Axios.

US officials say they are concerned "that Gaza is turning into Mogadishu" as a security vacuum and desperation have opened the door for armed gangs to attack and loot aid trucks - an outcome that Israel has fostered by pushing much of the population of the strip to the brink of famine.

Israel has rebuffed the request, according to Axios, because one of its goals in the war is to ensure that Hamas no longer runs Gaza, two Israeli officials said.

At least 11 police officers in Rafah have been killed by Israeli air strikes in recent weeks, according to US officials.