Israeli airstrikes kill at least a dozen in Gaza; UN rights office raises concerns

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of at least a dozen people over the past two days, according to local health officials. The strikes, which continue almost daily despite a months-old ceasefire with Hamas, have targeted various locations, including a police station and a tent camp.

On Wednesday, three members of a family were killed in central Gaza, Al Aqsa Hospital officials reported. The previous day, a woman and six police officers died in an airstrike on a police station in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza. Hospital officials also reported the death of a man in a bombing in Khan Younis and stated that Israeli forces shot and killed a child in the Muwasi area near Rafah.

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The pattern of attacks raises concerns that Israeli forces apply no distinction between police personnel and fighters belonging to armed groups in Gaza.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on all the strikes. Regarding the Jabaliya attack, it claimed four of the slain police officers were Hamas militants, without offering evidence of their involvement in planning or carrying out attacks. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry identified one of the officers as a senior police commander. Israel's military has stated it considers police stations legitimate targets if they are "being used to advance military activities, or if those present are military operatives involved in advancing terrorist activities."

The United Nations human rights office has condemned Israeli attacks on Gaza’s police, noting that police personnel have been attacked at least a dozen times in 2026, even during ordinary law enforcement operations. The UN expressed concerns that Israeli forces may not be distinguishing between police personnel and fighters belonging to armed groups in Gaza. A researcher suggested Israel's targeting indicates it views parts of Hamas' policing apparatus as integrated with its military infrastructure.

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being used to advance military activities, or if those present are military operatives involved in advancing terrorist activities.