At least three Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza on Sunday, including two members of the Hamas-run police force, according to health officials, in violence that underscores the fragility of a US-brokered ceasefire. The attacks come just months after the ceasefire was established in October 2025.
Medics reported that an Israeli airstrike killed one person and injured two others in the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza. The Israeli military said it targeted two militants who were carrying out suspicious activity and approached its forces, posing an immediate threat. In a separate incident in the southern Gaza Strip, an Israeli airstrike killed Wessam Abdel-Hadi, head of the criminal police force in Khan Younis, and his aide, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run interior ministry. The Israeli military stated that it struck militants of the elite Hamas force who were advancing imminent attacks against Israeli forces.
Sectarian violence has persisted since the ceasefire took effect, with Israel conducting near-daily attacks. Local medics report that at least 850 Palestinians have been killed since the truce began, while Israeli officials say four of their soldiers have been killed by militants over the same period. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the ceasefire terms. The blast that killed the two police officers left only a mangled metal skeleton where their car had stood in the Al-Amal neighborhood of Khan Younis. Mourners chanted religious slogans as the white-shrouded bodies were carried through the streets during the funeral. Ali Mousa, a mourner, condemned the targeting of police officers, saying, ‘Although the ceasefire came into effect several months ago, the occupation continues to target the police officers to cause chaos among the people of the same nation. The occupation aims to create chaos and confusion within the Gaza Strip.’
Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, more than 72,500 Palestinians have been killed, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities. The ongoing violence poses a significant challenge to the ceasefire, which has been brokered by the United States. The international community has called for restraint, but the deaths highlight the deep tensions that remain. The fragile peace is further tested by persistent attacks from both sides.
The Israeli military has intensified its strikes on Gaza’s Hamas-run police force, which the group uses to re-establish governance in areas under its control. The cycle of violence continues to claim lives, with no clear end in sight. As the region grapples with the aftermath, the ceasefire hangs by a thread, with both sides poised for further escalation.
Source: ARY News