2 weeks ago
Israeli Airstrike Kills Nine at Gaza Police Station
An Israeli airstrike hit a police station in Gaza and killed nine Palestinians, according to medical workers.
The Hamas-led interior ministry said eight senior police officers and a 13-year-old girl were among those killed.
Fifteen other people were reportedly hurt.
Another Israeli strike in the Nuseirat refugee camp killed one person.
Israel said that second strike was aimed at a Hamas militant.
Israel has not commented on the police-station strike.
Israel and Hamas disagree about how a proposed ceasefire should work.
The disagreement includes when Hamas would give up its weapons and when Israeli forces would leave Gaza.
Diplomatic efforts involving Jared Kushner have not produced a breakthrough.
Medics said an Israeli airstrike killed nine Palestinians at a Gaza police station on Wednesday.
The Hamas-led interior ministry said eight senior officers and a 13-year-old girl were among the dead.
Police and medical sources reported that 15 people were wounded in the police-station strike.
A separate Israeli strike in Nuseirat killed one Palestinian, according to medics; Israel said it targeted a Hamas militant.
Ceasefire negotiations remain stalled over Hamas disarmament and the timing of Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.
- Who
- Nine Palestinians were killed, including eight senior police officers and a 13-year-old girl, according to the Hamas-led interior ministry; Israel and Hamas are also involved in the stalled ceasefire talks.
- What
- An Israeli airstrike hit a police station in Gaza, while a separate strike killed one person in Nuseirat.
- Where
- A police station in Gaza and Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
- When
- Wednesday, August 19; the strikes followed diplomatic meetings earlier in the week.
- Why
- Israel said its strikes were intended to prevent imminent attacks by Hamas and other Gaza militants; the Israeli military specifically said the Nuseirat strike targeted a Hamas militant.
Israeli position
Palestinian and Hamas position
Purpose of the strikes
Israeli position
Israel said its strikes aimed to thwart imminent attacks by Hamas and Gaza militants. The military said the Nuseirat strike targeted a Hamas militant, but it has not commented on the police-station strike.
Palestinian and Hamas position
Palestinian medics and police sources described the police-station attack as killing civilians and officers, while Hamas said continued targeted attacks could affect its position on the ceasefire agreement.
Ceasefire sequencing
Israeli position
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a roadmap requiring phased disarmament and withdrawal, insisting that Israeli forces withdraw only after Hamas has completely disarmed.
Palestinian and Hamas position
Hamas has demanded that Israel adhere to the ceasefire and withdraw its forces from Gaza, disputing Israel’s sequencing of the agreement.
Diplomatic pressure
Israeli position
The reported diplomatic efforts by Jared Kushner and the Trump administration have not resolved the disagreement over military withdrawal and Hamas disarmament.
Palestinian and Hamas position
A Hamas official said the latest killings undermined Kushner’s efforts and urged mediators to address Israel’s targeted attacks; Qatar called for international pressure on Israel to fulfill its obligations.
Key facts
- Deaths at police station
- Nine Palestinians, according to medics.
- Reported victims
- Eight senior officers and a 13-year-old girl, according to the Hamas-led interior ministry.
- Wounded
- Fifteen people, according to medical and police sources.
- Additional Wednesday death
- One Palestinian was killed in a separate strike in Nuseirat, medics said.
- Ceasefire dispute
- Israel says it will withdraw only after Hamas completely disarms; Hamas demands adherence to the ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.
- Diplomatic efforts
- Jared Kushner ended a regional trip two days before the strikes, but the negotiations did not produce a breakthrough.
- Reported broader toll
- Gazan health officials and the Israeli military said more than 1,200 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers had been killed in Gaza since a ceasefire was reached last October.
Sources
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