Gaza City, April 24 - Palestinian health officials said an Israeli strike killed at least three people on Friday in a densely populated area of Gaza city.
Medics and witnesses described the scene as a crowded neighborhood near a location where local police are posted to guard a bank. Gaza’s interior ministry issued a statement saying the strike had targeted a police patrol.
It remained unclear whether any members of Gaza’s police force were among the fatalities. Local authorities and medics provided the casualty figures, and eyewitness accounts placed the strike in close proximity to the police post.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the incident.
Context of continued violence
Violence in Gaza has continued despite the ceasefire that took effect in October 2025. According to local medics, at least 790 Palestinians have been killed since that ceasefire came into effect. In turn, Israeli authorities say militants have killed four of its soldiers since the same date. Both sides have accused the other of violating the ceasefire.
More broadly, Gaza health authorities report that more than 72,000 Gazans have been killed since the war began in October 2023, with most of the victims identified as civilians. Israeli tallies place the death toll from the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, at 1,200 people.
Uncertainties and immediate response
At this stage there is limited public information about whether the strike specifically hit members of Gaza’s police force, despite the interior ministry's statement that a police patrol was targeted. The lack of an immediate response from the Israeli military contributes to the uncertainty surrounding the precise circumstances of the strike and the identities of those killed.
The clash occurred against a backdrop of near-daily attacks reported in the period since the ceasefire, according to local accounts, underscoring the fragile nature of the truce and the continuing human toll in the territory.