An Israeli air strike on Sunday targeted a police station and a vehicle in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of at least nine Palestinians and injuring around 20 others, according to health officials. The strike on the police post occurred near a large tent encampment housing displaced families in Khan Younis, in the southern part of Gaza. Medics did not specify how many of the casualties were police personnel. A subsequent strike later in the day hit a vehicle in Gaza City, killing four people and wounding four more. The Israeli military described one of the targets as a Hamas command center but did not immediately comment on the vehicle incident.
The attacks coincide with the start of new ceasefire negotiations hosted by Egypt, involving Hamas and other Palestinian factions. These talks aim to revive a fragile U.S.-brokered truce agreement reached in October 2025, which ended two years of fighting but has not led to a full implementation of further peace steps. The ceasefire has halted major hostilities since last October, but ongoing disputes remain unresolved, including the deployment and future role of nearly 10,000 Hamas-affiliated police officers in Gaza. Hamas insists on integrating these police into any new force, while Israel rejects any security role for personnel linked to Hamas.
Israeli forces continue to control over half of Gaza’s territory, having ordered evacuations and destroyed numerous structures. The Gaza Strip's population of approximately 2 million people now mostly resides in a narrow coastal area, living in temporary tents or damaged buildings. According to Hamas security officials, Israel has intensified attacks on police sites over recent months, causing dozens of police casualties.
Since the ceasefire began, Israeli strikes have killed more than 950 Palestinians, while Palestinian militant attacks have resulted in the deaths of four Israeli soldiers. The conflict escalated dramatically in October 2023 when Hamas militants launched an offensive across the border, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 Israeli and foreign hostages, prompting Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem expressed willingness to discuss ways to end Israeli attacks and reach compromises on the next phase of the peace plan, but also criticized the overseeing Board of Peace, led by former U.S. President Donald Trump, for what he described as bias toward Israel.
The original 2025 ceasefire deal, endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, established the Board of Peace to oversee a phased cessation of hostilities. However, key issues such as Hamas disarmament, Israeli troop withdrawal, and the composition of a governing body in Gaza remain unresolved and continue to challenge negotiations.
The current round of talks in Egypt is anticipated to last several days, as mediators seek common ground to stabilize the ceasefire and advance toward broader peace goals.