In brief
Israeli drone attacks on Sunday struck al‑Mawasi in southern Gaza and the al‑Rimal neighbourhood in Gaza City, killing eight Palestinians including five police officers and a four‑year‑old boy. The strikes add to the escalating toll since the October 2025 ceasefire, drawing condemnation from Hamas and raising questions about the targeting of police officers.
On Sunday, November 1, Israeli military drones struck two locations in the Gaza Strip, killing eight Palestinians, including five police officers and a four‑year‑old child, Gaza medical sources and local authorities reported. The al‑Mawasi airstrike took place west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, while the al‑Rimal attack occurred in the western part of Gaza City, according to the Gaza Ministry of Interior and hospital staff in the region.
Three Palestinians, a child among them, were killed in the al‑Rimal attack, with six others wounded some critically, according to al‑Shifa Hospital. The same day, a separate incident resulted in the death of a person due to wounds sustained in a prior strike, bringing the Sunday total to eight. The attacks target police officers and civilians, and the Israeli military has not issued an immediate comment.
Gaza's Ministry of Interior confirmed that five members of the General Directorate of Police were killed “performing routine duties” in al‑Mawasi, while the Nasser Medical Complex reported at least five dead and several wounded in the same strike. The interior authority added that Israeli attacks have killed 75 police officers since the ceasefire with Hamas took effect in October 2025. Gaza’s health authorities recorded 1,580 Palestinians killed and 5,711 wounded in the enclave since that ceasefire, bringing the cumulative toll since the initial conflict in 2023 to 74,594 dead and 175,834 wounded.
In response, Hamas issued a statement condemning the attacks as a “deliberate war crime.” The group denounced “the horrific massacre” that targeted a group of police officers and the “bombardment of Gaza City” that killed and wounded civilians. The statement described the repeated targeting of police officers while they performed their duties as part of Israel’s “attempt to obstruct recovery efforts, undermine stability in the Gaza Strip, and sow chaos,” and condemned “international silence and the failure to confront these horrific crimes” as emboldening the occupation.
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, noted that Israeli forces “targeted a number of police officers carrying out their duties,” while Israeli officials told AFP that they were targeting a “terrorist” in southern Gaza. Gaza’s Ministry of Interior dismissed that claim, arguing the police were not engaged in any combat activity. The discrepancy highlights the contested nature of the strikes and the broader question of whether police officers are legitimate targets when they are not involved in hostilities.
In northern Gaza, Israeli drone attacks also struck the Taj Mall, a commercial destination within the city. The mall’s targeting has further intensified criticism from international observers who question the proportionality of force used in crowded civilian spaces. However, Israeli officials have maintained that any strikes were aimed at militant targets or infrastructure linked to the conflict.
The Israeli‑controlled military’s stance that it is following a “ceasefire” agreement brokered by the United States remains contradictory to the escalation of strikes within Gaza. The United Nations assistance agency UNRWA, which operates in Gaza, warned that the killings had “a chilling effect” on the already fragile humanitarian situation. With more than 1,500 Palestinians killed since the ceasefire, Gaza’s ministry of health cautions that the new deaths will only add to the cumulative toll of 74,594 since the war began in 2023.
Questions remain about the nature of the targets and the credibility of the figures released by both sides. While the Gaza Ministry of Interior claims that the police were “performing routine duties,” Israeli statements from the army speak of “targeting a terrorist.” These contradictory narratives point to a broader information war accompanying the physical battles.
Despite the US‑brokered ceasefire taking effect last October, Israeli forces continue to launch airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, a pattern that has fueled international concern. The United Nations Human Rights Council has called for a review of the use of force in densely populated areas, citing the potential for civilian casualties. Around 74,594 Palestinians have been reported killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, while protestors in Gaza City held rallies demanding an end to the violence and calling Israeli operations “genocidal war.”
The latest confrontations have reignited calls from local and international actors for the immediate application of the ceasefire, arguing that continued shelling only perpetuates the humanitarian crisis. The protests highlight growing angst in Gaza communities and the ongoing debate over the legitimacy of airstrikes against police and civilian targets, emphasizing the complexity of the conflict and the urgent need for a renewed diplomatic solution.