Full Breakdown
Israeli Airstrikes Kill Dozens in Gaza, Including Police Officers, Amid Fragile Ceasefire
7/15/2026, 9:53:25 PM
Recent Strikes on Gaza Police and Civilians
Over the past two days Israeli airstrikes have killed at least a dozen Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health officials. The dead include a woman, six police officers at a Jabaliya refugee-camp police station, three family members in central Deir al-Balah, a man in a tent camp in Khan Younis, and a 10-year-old boy shot near Rafah. The Israeli military has not commented on the strikes in central or southern Gaza.
Background and Context
The attacks occur under a ceasefire that began in October, intended to pause the two-year war that started with Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 assault on southern Israel. While the heaviest fighting has subsided, both sides accuse each other of frequent ceasefire violations.
Key Figures
- Col. Mohamad Marwan Salem – senior commander of the Jabaliya police station, identified by Hamas’s Interior Ministry as a senior police officer.
- Ofer Guterman – researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, who analyses Israel’s targeting rationale.
- UN Human Rights Office – issued a June 3 statement condemning attacks on Gaza police.
Data & Statistics
- Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, records 1,123 deaths since the ceasefire began; it does not break down civilians versus militants but notes women and children comprise most of the dead.
- The ministry also reports at least 1,110 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire, while Israeli officials cite five of their soldiers killed in the same period.
- Overall, the war has claimed more than 73,000 Palestinian lives, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Official Statements & Responses
Israel’s military asserts that police stations are legitimate targets when “being used to advance military activities, or if those present are military operatives involved in advancing terrorist activities,” though it offered no evidence of such use at Jabaliya. Hamas’s Interior Ministry maintains that its police “are engaged in maintaining law and order.” The UN Human Rights Office warned that “the pattern of attacks raises concerns that Israeli forces apply no distinction between police personnel and fighters belonging to armed groups in Gaza.”
Criticism & Opposition
Human-rights observers echo the UN’s concern, emphasizing that attacks have struck police during routine duties such as directing traffic and patrolling markets. Critics argue the strikes blur the line between civilian law-enforcement personnel and combatants, potentially violating international humanitarian law.
On-the-Ground Reports
Witnesses in Jabaliya described an Israeli drone releasing four missiles near a busy market. In Khan Younis, medics reported a man killed and three injured by an airstrike on a tent camp. Warda Abu Shaar was photographed carrying the body of her 10-year-old son, Motaz, after he was killed by Israeli fire.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Israeli statements label four of the slain officers as “Hamas militants,” while Hamas insists its police are non-combatants.
- Casualty tallies differ: the Gaza Health Ministry cites 1,110 deaths since the ceasefire, whereas other reports mention 1,123.
- The exact military function of the Jabaliya police station remains unverified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Ofer Guterman, a researcher at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, said Israel's targeting suggests that it regards parts of Hamas' policing apparatus as closely integrated with its military infrastructure, including through dual-role personnel and the use of facilities for weapons storage, operations and logistics.” — Ofer Guterman, Institute for National Security Studies
- “The pattern of attacks raises concerns that Israeli forces apply no distinction between police personnel and fighters belonging to armed groups in Gaza,” — UN Human Rights Office (June 3 statement)
- “terrorists” — Israeli military official (regarding the same strike)
