At least nine Palestinians died and dozens were injured following Israeli airstrikes targeting a Hamas police station and a vehicle in the Gaza Strip. The attacks came as mediators gathered in Egypt to restart ceasefire discussions aimed at preserving a tenuous truce established months ago.
One airstrike hit a police post near a tent encampment for displaced families in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing five people and injuring sixteen others, according to medical sources. Hamas security officials said Israel has intensified strikes against their police forces, which number nearly 10,000, resulting in dozens of fatalities over recent months.
Later, a separate strike targeted a vehicle moving through central Gaza City, killing four and wounding four more. The Israeli military has yet to comment on the incidents. These attacks punctuate a fragile ceasefire that paused large-scale combat after years of conflict but has not yet led to a full agreement on disarmament, troop withdrawals, or reconstruction.
Israeli forces retain control over more than half of Gaza’s territory, having ordered evacuations and destroyed numerous buildings, forcing Gaza’s nearly two million residents into a small coastal strip, mostly living in tents or damaged structures under Hamas control. The fate of Hamas’ police remains a significant sticking point in negotiations, with Hamas demanding they be integrated into a future security force, while Israel rejects any official role for personnel affiliated with the group.
Egypt has convened leaders from Hamas and other Palestinian factions for talks expected to last several days. The discussions focus on implementing a U.S.-supported peace plan that includes phased troop withdrawals, disarmament of Hamas, and reconstruction efforts. Both sides continue to accuse each other of violating the truce—Israeli strikes have killed over 950 Palestinians since its start while Palestinian militants have caused several Israeli military casualties.
The original ceasefire was brokered by the United States and endorsed by the United Nations Security Council but left key issues unresolved for later stages. Hamas has communicated to the peace negotiators from the Board of Peace and mediators Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey that halting Israeli attacks is crucial to advancing the talks. A Hamas spokesperson indicated openness to dialogue aimed at ending hostilities and achieving consensus on the plan’s next phase, while also calling for more impartial mediation.