In brief
Two Israeli drone strikes on Gaza’s southern and western districts killed eight Palestinians, five police officers and a 4‑year‑old boy. Gaza’s interior ministry confirmed the police were targeted while on duty, while a Hamas statement condemned the attacks as a war crime. The incidents further raise the cumulative death toll above 74,000 since the conflict began in 2023.
At least eight Palestinians, including five police officers, were killed Sunday when Israeli drones struck targets in the Gaza Strip, according to local and medical sources. The first raid hit a group of officers in the al‑Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, while the second hit a civilian gathering in the al‑Rimal neighbourhood, west of Gaza City, killing a four‑year‑old boy among the casualties.
Nasser Medical Complex reported that the al‑Mawasi strike killed five people and wounded several others, some seriously. Gaza’s Ministry of Interior confirmed that the victims were members of the General Directorate of Police who were “performing routine duties.” In a statement released on Sunday, the ministry said that five police officers had been killed since the ceasefire that took effect in October 2025, with the total over the entire conflict reaching 75.
Hospital staff at Al Shifa Hospital confirmed that the al‑Rimal strike killed three Palestinians, including a child, and wounded six others, some critically. The attack also hit the Taj Mall, according to AFP sources, adding to the civilian toll.
"They were targeted as they were doing their jobs," said Al Jazeera reporter Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City.
"The deliberate and repeated targeting of police officers while they perform their duties is part of Israel’s attempt to obstruct recovery efforts, undermine stability in the Gaza Strip, and sow chaos," the statement read.
In the same statement, Hamas condemned the attacks as a "horrific massacre" and a "deliberate war crime," calling them part of a "continuation of the genocidal war" against Palestinians.
Israeli forces did not immediately comment on the strikes. The Israeli army, through the AFP news agency, said it was targeting "a terrorist" in southern Gaza, but no further details were given.
Gaza’s health authorities reported that an additional 1,580 Palestinians were killed and 5,711 wounded in the enclave since the October 2025 ceasefire. These figures bring the cumulative toll since the first round of fighting in early 2023 to 74,594 dead and 175,834 wounded across the region.
These latest airstrikes underscore the continued intensity of the conflict, despite a U.S.‑brokered ceasefire that has been in effect since last October. According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, more than 1,500 people have died since that ceasefire, and the total death toll now stands at 74,594.
Humanitarian observers note that the targeting of police officers and civilians in dual strikes raises significant concerns about compliance with international humanitarian law and the broader objectives of any ceasefire arrangement.
As Gaza's communities endure repeated losses, the international community remains largely silent on the latest incidents, leaving local and Palestinian authorities to highlight the events through local media channels and press statements.
