Israeli strikes in Gaza City on Tuesday resulted in the deaths of four Palestinians, including three children and a woman, Palestinian health officials reported. The casualties occurred during an Israeli military operation aimed at capturing a senior Hamas figure in the western part of the city.
Palestinian witnesses described a series of around a dozen airstrikes early in the morning, accompanied by gunfire from an Israeli jeep that fired indiscriminately for over 15 minutes. Scenes from the area showed the bodies of two children being carried through the streets near the remnants of a destroyed vehicle. Local emergency services, operating under Hamas authority, confirmed the fatalities. Additional strikes were reported in the central Gaza Strip near Deir al-Balah, where two more people, including a girl, were killed.
On the Israeli side of the border, Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the apprehension of a “senior Hamas terrorist” without disclosing further details about the individual. Katz emphasized Israel’s commitment to preemptively targeting Hamas militants and their infrastructure, stating that since the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, nearly 70 percent of Gaza has come under Israeli military control.
However, a security source within Gaza claimed the Israeli mission to capture the Hamas leader was unsuccessful, with special forces reportedly withdrawing under cover after the operation. The same source indicated that a collaborating militia aligned with Israel participated in the operation inside the Hamas-controlled territory. Another security official reported that a Hamas member present during the attempt was abducted.
Ismail al-Thawabta, head of Hamas’ media office in Gaza, stated that the Israeli special forces’ operation was exposed, triggering intense Israeli airstrikes in the targeted area. The Israeli military said it struck multiple targets in Gaza to neutralize threats and reported no casualties among its troops.
Despite a ceasefire brokered by the United States that came into effect in October 2025, hostilities between Israeli forces and Palestinian groups have persisted in Gaza. According to Gaza’s health ministry, which functions under Hamas and is regarded as a reliable source by the United Nations, Israeli operations have killed at least 1,326 Palestinians since the ceasefire began. During the same period, the Israeli military has reported five military fatalities and the death of one civilian contractor.