Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday killed at least three Palestinians, medics said, including two officers in Gaza’s Hamas-run police force in Khan Younis. The attacks, which hit a refugee camp and a vehicle, again tested the fragile U.S.-brokered truce that has been in place since October 2025 and left already strained hospitals scrambling as families rushed to bury their dead.
What Happened
According to medics, one airstrike struck the Maghazi refugee camp, killing one person and wounding two others. A separate strike hit a vehicle in Khan Younis and killed Wessam Abdel-Hadi, the head of the criminal police force there, along with his aide, as reported by Reuters. The Israeli military said it was targeting militants it accused of “suspicious” activity and said troops faced an immediate threat in some of the incidents.
Officials' Accounts
In its public statements the Israeli military said its forces struck militants it said were approaching troops and preparing attacks, and that soldiers had uncovered hideouts and weapons in the area, according to local reports. As the Honolulu Star-Advertiser notes, those claims from the military sit beside casualty figures compiled by Gaza medics and eyewitness accounts from Khan Younis.
Human Cost
Gaza’s health authorities say at least 850 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, and that more than 72,500 people have died since the war began in October 2023, figures cited by the Anadolu Agency. Humanitarian organizations warn that the steady toll, combined with damaged infrastructure, is pushing civilians deeper into crisis.
Ceasefire Under Strain
Each side accuses the other of chipping away at the truce. Israeli officials say militants have mounted attacks that endanger troops, while Palestinian officials say Israeli strikes are driving the civilian casualties. The Associated Press reports that Israel says militants have killed four Israeli soldiers since the October truce began, a figure Israeli officials point to in justifying some of the military responses.
Voices From Gaza
“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,” mourner Ali Mousa told Reuters at a funeral in Khan Younis. The deaths of security officials have fueled concern that hit after hit on local law enforcement could unravel what little order remains in areas already short on fuel and medical supplies.
What Washington Is Watching
Diplomats and mediators who helped shape the October deal are closely tracking alleged violations, since relative calm in Gaza is a prerequisite for broader political and humanitarian moves, according to the Associated Press. U.S. officials have publicly urged restraint and pushed for monitoring mechanisms aimed at preserving what they describe as the truce’s limited but important gains.
For residents in Gaza, though, the daily reality remains airstrikes, funerals and restricted aid deliveries, a reminder that even a negotiated pause can quickly fray without clear enforcement and reciprocal steps from both sides. International agencies warn that unless attacks and counterattacks ease and border crossings open more consistently, recovery and reconstruction plans for Gaza will continue to run into one roadblock after another.
