By Naeema Saleem — SCN NEWS
GAZA CITY, — Israeli airstrikes killed at least eight Palestinians, including a four-year-old boy and five police officers, in separate attacks across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, according to hospital officials and Gaza's Interior Ministry, as renewed violence raised further questions about the durability of a year-old ceasefire. Five officers were killed in the southern city of Khan Younis, while three people, including the child, died in an attack in Gaza City, medical sources said. The Israeli military said it had targeted militants in Khan Younis but did not immediately comment on the Gaza City strike, leaving the circumstances of the civilian deaths unresolved.
The deadliest attack occurred in the al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis, where five members of Gaza's police force were killed while carrying out their duties, according to the Interior Ministry, which operates under the Hamas administration. Medical officials at Nasser Hospital confirmed receiving five bodies following the strike, while several other people were reported wounded. The ministry condemned the attack and said its officers had been performing routine law-enforcement responsibilities in an area where large numbers of displaced Palestinians have sought shelter.
Israel's military provided a different account of the operation, saying its forces had targeted militants in southern Gaza. It did not immediately release detailed evidence identifying those killed or explaining the specific threat it said they posed. The differing accounts could not be independently reconciled, and the status of the five men remained disputed between Israeli authorities and Gaza officials. The distinction is significant because the circumstances of an attack, the identities of those targeted and their involvement in hostilities are central to assessing its legality under international humanitarian law.
In a separate incident in Gaza City's Rimal neighbourhood, an Israeli strike killed three Palestinians, including a father and his four-year-old son, according to medical officials at al-Shifa Hospital. Palestinian sources identified the victims as being among people struck on al-Thawra Street, a busy urban area where civilians continued moving despite the persistent threat of military attacks. Hospital officials said six other people, including a woman and a child, were wounded in the incident. Israel had not immediately issued a detailed explanation of the Gaza City attack.
The deaths prompted renewed criticism from Palestinian officials, who accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and endangering civilians in areas already devastated by prolonged fighting. Gaza's Interior Ministry said at least 75 police and security personnel had been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire took effect in October 2025. The figure was provided by the ministry and could not be independently verified in full. Hamas also condemned Sunday's strikes, describing them as evidence that the agreement had failed to provide effective protection for Palestinians.
The Israeli government maintains that its military operations are directed against Hamas and other armed groups that it says have continued preparing attacks despite the ceasefire. Israeli officials have accused Hamas of rebuilding its military capabilities, reorganising armed units and violating provisions intended to prevent renewed hostilities. Hamas denies attempting to restart the war or rebuild its arsenal in violation of the agreement and accuses Israel of using those allegations to justify continuing military action. The competing claims have complicated efforts by mediators to preserve the ceasefire and advance negotiations over its remaining provisions.
The latest deaths occurred more than a year after a United States-brokered ceasefire took effect in October 2025, ending the most intensive phase of fighting but failing to stop periodic Israeli strikes and other deadly incidents. The agreement was intended to establish conditions for a broader settlement, including arrangements for security, humanitarian access, reconstruction and the future administration of Gaza. However, negotiations have made limited progress because Israel and Hamas remain divided over disarmament, troop withdrawals and control of the territory. Those unresolved issues have prevented the temporary reduction in hostilities from developing into a durable political settlement.
According to Gaza health authorities, at least 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began, illustrating the continuing human cost of violence despite the agreement. Israel says four of its soldiers have been killed during the same period. The Palestinian figures include deaths reported by hospitals and medical authorities, although the available totals do not consistently distinguish civilians from combatants. The figures underscore the difficulty of measuring the ceasefire's effectiveness solely by whether large-scale ground operations have resumed.
Israel continues to control approximately two-thirds of the Gaza Strip, according to Reuters reporting, while most of the territory's population of more than two million remains concentrated in the remaining areas. Many residents live in damaged buildings, overcrowded shelters or temporary tents after repeated displacement during the war. The concentration of civilians in restricted areas has created severe challenges for emergency medical services and humanitarian organisations attempting to deliver assistance. Continued strikes in densely populated neighbourhoods increase the risk of civilian casualties and place additional pressure on hospitals already struggling with shortages of equipment and supplies.
The al-Mawasi area, where Sunday's attack killed five police officers, has become an important centre for displaced families because of its extensive camps and temporary shelters. Large numbers of Palestinians moved there during earlier stages of the conflict after evacuation orders and military operations made other parts of Gaza unsafe. Despite the area's humanitarian significance, it has experienced repeated strikes, leaving residents uncertain about the protection available even in locations where displaced civilians have gathered. Sunday's attack added to those concerns as families continued to depend on local security personnel and aid organisations for basic services.
In Gaza City, the deaths of a father and his young son highlighted the continued vulnerability of civilians attempting to resume daily activities after the ceasefire. The destruction of homes, roads and public facilities has forced residents to move through damaged neighbourhoods where emergency services often face difficulty reaching casualties. Hospitals continue to receive patients from strikes and shootings while treating people suffering from injuries sustained earlier in the conflict. The latest incidents demonstrate that the humanitarian consequences of the war remain substantial even during periods described as a ceasefire.
The broader conflict began after Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel subsequently launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza that Palestinian health authorities say has killed more than 74,000 people. The war caused extensive destruction across the enclave, displaced much of its population and triggered repeated international appeals for the protection of civilians and unrestricted humanitarian assistance. The October 2025 ceasefire was intended to create a path towards ending the conflict, but the latest violence has demonstrated the fragility of that process.
The continued disagreement over Hamas disarmament remains one of the principal obstacles to implementing the ceasefire's next stages. Israel insists that Hamas must no longer possess the military capability to threaten Israeli territory, while the Palestinian group has resisted demands that it surrender its weapons without broader political and security arrangements. Negotiators have also struggled to reach agreement on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from areas they continue to occupy. Without progress on those issues, the ceasefire remains vulnerable to further military incidents and disputes over responsibility.
The question of Gaza's future governance has also complicated efforts to stabilise the territory. Israel opposes any arrangement that would allow Hamas to retain military control, while Palestinian political factions and international mediators have discussed alternatives for administering essential services and overseeing reconstruction. Local police and security structures remain particularly sensitive because they perform civilian functions while operating within an administration controlled by Hamas. Sunday's attack on police personnel in Khan Younis brought renewed attention to those unresolved questions about security responsibilities and the distinction between civilian law enforcement and armed activity.
For hospitals and emergency workers, the immediate priority remained treating the wounded and identifying those killed in the two attacks. Medical officials reported casualties from both northern and southern Gaza, reflecting the continuing geographical spread of violence despite restrictions on movement and the presence of Israeli forces across much of the territory. The reported deaths of a young child and police personnel are likely to increase pressure on mediators to seek clearer arrangements for preventing further attacks. However, neither side announced a new agreement or a change to its military position following Sunday's incidents.
By Sunday evening, Palestinian medical authorities had reported eight deaths from the two strikes, while Israel maintained that its operation in southern Gaza had targeted militants. The military had not immediately provided a detailed response concerning the attack in Gaza City, where a father and his child were among those killed. With negotiations over disarmament, troop withdrawals and reconstruction still stalled, the latest casualties underscored the continuing danger facing Gaza's population and the limited protection provided by the existing ceasefire.