Saqr Taleb, a young Palestinian man devoted to protecting his community from lawlessness, was killed alongside his wife and children by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza’s Sabra neighbourhood. Saqr had been leading a local unit tasked with stopping armed gangs looting food stalls and shops amid the growing chaos. In a place where hunger drives desperation and security is collapsing, Saqr stood out as one of the few still trying to defend public order. Now, his name is added to the thousands of Palestinians erased from Gaza’s civil registry—his entire family wiped out in a single strike.

His relatives say he had become a target not only for standing up to chaos but for trying to restore dignity to his people. “Saqr was known for his integrity. He pursued gangs that others were too afraid to confront. That’s why they wanted him gone,” said a family member. His mother, who had already lost several children in previous Israeli strikes and has a son held captive, now mourns yet another unbearable loss.

Gaza’s Ministry of Interior had recently vowed to crack down on criminal gangs, accusing them of collaborating—directly or indirectly—with Israel’s agenda of accelerating social collapse. Days before Saqr’s killing, another Israeli airstrike targeted Palestinian security forces pursuing thieves, killing an officer and a child. Many in Gaza see these attacks as part of a strategy to deepen the humanitarian crisis, weaken social cohesion, and turn civilians against each other.

Since October 2023, Israel’s war on Gaza—carried out with U.S. support—has killed more than 52,500 people, injured over 118,000, and buried thousands more beneath the rubble. The loss of Saqr Taleb, a man who had almost nothing yet chose to protect his people, is a painful reminder that even those fighting to preserve what’s left of Gaza’s social fabric are not spared.