Israeli Drone Strike on Jabalia Police Post Kills Senior Officer and Several Others

Background & Context

The attack occurred under a ceasefire that began on Oct. 10, 2025, following the October 2023 war that started after Hamas’ cross-border assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. While the truce halted major fighting, both sides have accused each other of frequent violations. Gaza’s health ministry says more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, and the Hamas-run interior ministry reports over 1,100 deaths since the ceasefire took effect.

Key Figures & Groups

Colonel Mohammed Marwan Salem – Director of the Jabalia police station, killed in the strike.

Hamas-run Interior Ministry – Provides casualty figures and condemned the attack as a “massacre.”

Israeli Military (IDF) – Confirmed the strike targeted “terrorists” and later issued statements about eliminating Hamas naval and ground operatives.

Data & Statistics

Reported deaths from the Jabalia strike: seven (BBC, Reuters) to eight (Al Jazeera, AFP).

Israel kills 8 Palestinians, including police chief, in Gaza

Overall Gaza casualties since the ceasefire (Oct. 2025): 1,108–1,110 Palestinians killed (AA, Reuters).

Total war-time Palestinian deaths since Oct. 2023: 73,000–73,233 (Gaza health ministry, Israeli tallies).

Israeli soldier deaths in the same period: four (BBC, Reuters).

Official Statements & Responses

The Israeli military said the operation “targeted terrorists” and later described other strikes as eliminating “a cell commander in Hamas’ naval force” and “terrorists … posing an immediate threat to our forces.”

The Hamas-run interior ministry labeled the Jabalia attack a “horrific massacre against officers and members of the police force.”

The IDF added that its forces “will continue to act to remove any immediate threat” in accordance with the ceasefire agreement.

Criticism & Opposition

Palestinian officials and local journalists described the strike as a “massacre” and highlighted the civilian impact of targeting a crowded market-area police post. Al Jazeera’s correspondent called the incident “a horrific massacre against officers and members of the police force” and linked it to what he termed a “genocidal act” against Gaza’s population.

On-the-Ground Reports

Witnesses in Jabalia reported an Israeli drone releasing four missiles near a busy market, creating a large explosion that killed police personnel and a civilian woman. Medics in Rafah confirmed that 10-year-old Muataz Abu Shaar was shot by Israeli gunfire and died before reaching the hospital.

Conflicting Reports & Gaps

Sources differ on the exact death toll at the Jabalia site—seven (BBC, Reuters) versus eight (Al Jazeera, AFP). The number of Palestinians killed since the October 2025 ceasefire varies between 1,108 (AA) and 1,110 (Reuters). No Israeli comment was provided on the Rafah child’s death, leaving the circumstances unverified by the Israeli side.

Verbatim Quotes

“The Hamas-led interior ministry said in a statement the dead included the head of the Jabalia police force, Colonel Mohammad Marwan Salem, along with other officers.” — Reuters

“Their job was to maintain some sort of law and order and organisation in an area that is known as a marketplace in the middle of a displacement camp,” — Hani Mahmoud, Al Jazeera correspondent

“By the time his relatives picked him up and brought him to Nasser Hospital, he was already dead. Just another child, another grieving family, another reminder of the human cost of the ongoing genocidal act.” — Hani Mahmoud, Al Jazeera correspondent

“The terrorists posed an immediate threat to our forces operating in the area and were eliminated in precise aerial strikes,” — IDF statement

What’s Next

Hamas leaders are in Cairo for talks on implementing the second phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, but sources say little progress has been made toward a broader ceasefire or disarmament agreement.