Israeli Strikes Kill Eight in Gaza Including Five Police Officers

Israeli strikes killed at least eight Palestinians on Sunday, including five police officers, according to medics and the Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza. Three people died in an airstrike in Gaza City. Five police officers were killed in a separate strike in western Khan Yunis in the south. The Israeli military said it struck several militants in Khan Yunis and did not immediately comment on the Gaza City attack.

Israel has said Hamas is rearming and launching attacks in violation of the year-old ceasefire and has increased strikes in recent weeks. Hamas has denied attempting to carry out attacks or rebuild its arsenal and has accused Israel of undermining the agreement. Nearly all of the more than two million residents of Gaza live in the remaining third of the territory, mostly in makeshift tents and damaged buildings. Palestinian health officials say at least 1,500 people have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect. Overall Palestinian authorities put the death toll from Israel’s campaign, which began after the October 7, 2023 attacks, above 74,000.

The interior ministry stated that the Khan Yunis strike deliberately targeted police officers and personnel on duty. Witnesses described drones firing into a populated area near displacement tents and a school. One later report indicated a sixth person died of wounds from the same incident. Additional strikes on Monday morning killed at least four more people across Gaza, including by quadcopter drones and other munitions, according to local agencies. The pattern of continued strikes under a formal ceasefire has become a regular feature of the post-agreement period.

The presence of police officers among the dead highlights the dual role local security forces play in areas still under Hamas administrative control. Israel treats many such personnel as legitimate targets when it judges them linked to militant activity. Palestinian authorities present them as civil servants maintaining order among displaced populations. The two descriptions produce different casualty counts and different political narratives from the same events. Independent verification remains limited because access for outside journalists is restricted.

The year-old ceasefire has reduced the intensity of large-scale ground operations but has not ended daily aerial and drone strikes. Israeli officials cite specific violations by Hamas as justification for each round of attacks. Palestinian officials and local media record the resulting deaths and injuries without accepting the military rationale. The cumulative toll of 1,500 since the ceasefire began is now part of the public accounting on both sides. Further strikes reported on Monday suggest the pattern will continue into the new week.