Israeli Strikes Kill Eight Palestinians Across Gaza

At least eight Palestinians, including a four-year-old child and five police officers, were killed in separate Israeli military attacks across the Gaza Strip on November 1, 2026, according to hospital officials and Palestinian authorities. The strikes hit Gaza City's Al-Rimal neighborhood in the north and Al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis in the south, despite a ceasefire that took effect in October 2025.

Three people died in an attack near Cairo School in Al-Rimal, according to officials at Al-Shifa Hospital. The victims included a four-year-old boy. Another person also died from injuries sustained in an earlier attack, according to Al Jazeera.

In southern Gaza, an Israeli drone strike killed five Palestinian police officers who were reportedly performing routine duties in Al-Mawasi. Several other people were wounded, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Interior and National Security.

The ministry said the officers were carrying out their regular responsibilities when they were targeted. It identified the deceased officers as men aged between 23 and 53 and condemned the attack.

The ministry described the incident as a "horrific massacre" and called on the international community "to take urgent action and exert pressure" on Israel to stop attacks against Palestinian police officers.

It also said at least 75 police officers and security personnel had been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began in October 2025.

The Israeli military acknowledged carrying out two operations against individuals it characterized as military operatives. In its account of the southern Gaza operation, the military said its target was "a terrorist." It did not provide further evidence or detailed information in the reports.

Palestinian officials disputed the military characterization of the incidents, emphasizing that the police officers were performing routine duties and that civilians were among those killed.

Hamas also condemned the attacks, describing them as a "deliberate war crime." The organization accused Israeli forces of targeting police personnel and civilians in Gaza City.

In its statement, Hamas said the repeated attacks on police officers were part of an "attempt to obstruct recovery efforts, undermine stability in the Gaza Strip, and sow chaos."

Hamas further criticized the international response, saying that "international silence and the failure to confront these horrific crimes only embolden the occupation."

Hamas characterized the latest developments as "a continuation of the genocidal war" against Palestinians.

Ali Oweis, whose family members were among the victims in northern Gaza, described the circumstances surrounding the strike to AFP outside Al-Shifa Hospital.

"My son and his child were martyred. They were sitting in their tent, bothering no one, and nothing else was happening in the area when suddenly, a missile struck them, and they were martyred," Ali Oweis told AFP.

He also questioned whether the ceasefire had brought an end to the violence.

"There is no ceasefire; the war is ongoing, don't you see?" Oweis said.

Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, described the continuing frequency of deadly attacks across the territory.

"It's hard to remember a day gone by when we haven't reported on deadly attacks across the Gaza Strip," Mahmoud said.

He also described the attack on the police officers in Al-Mawasi and the subsequent casualties in Gaza City.

"In the last couple of hours, a group of law enforcement officers patrolling Al-Mawasi to protect displaced civilians was targeted. Five policemen were killed instantly," Mahmoud reported.

Describing the subsequent attack in northern Gaza, he said three people were killed, including a father and his three-year-old son, while walking along Revolution Street. His account differed slightly from the four-year-old age reported by other sources.

Figures from Gaza's Ministry of Health indicate that more than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began. The BBC reported a total of 1,580 deaths, while the ministry's cumulative toll since October 2023 stands at 74,594.

The United Nations considers the Gaza Health Ministry's casualty figures reliable. Israeli authorities have maintained that military operations target Hamas, although civilians have also been killed.

The ceasefire agreement, brokered by the Trump administration, included the release of thousands of Palestinians held by Israel in exchange for all 48 remaining hostages held in Gaza. The agreement was intended to end the war, but the broader peace plan has stalled.

The conflict began following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in 251 people being taken hostage.

Separately, Haaretz cited an Al Jazeera report giving a death toll of nine people in Sunday's Israeli strikes, compared with the minimum of eight reported by the BBC and Al Jazeera's initial coverage.