Gaza Ceasefire Broken
Israeli Drone Strikes Kill Five Palestinians, Including Police, Despite Ceasefire in Gaza
Anonymous
Key Points
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The three police officers killed in Maghazi camp were identified as Captain Mansour Sami Shahtout, Captain Mohammed Khaled Nofal, and First Sergeant Mahdi Nader Jabr.
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The Maghazi camp attack involved a civilian vehicle near the camp’s entrance being targeted by an Israeli combat drone, with at least two missiles fired and the vehicle set ablaze.
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Oday Younis, a 35-year-old Palestinian man, was killed in Beit Lahia after the drone strike; witnesses said he was gathering firewood near Israeli military positions, and his body was transported to Al-Shifa Hospital.
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The broader ceasefire context remains fragile: Gaza’s Health Ministry cites 1,031 Palestinians killed and 3,309 wounded due to violations since the ceasefire began on October 10, 2025, with the broader 2023–hostilities toll exceeding 73,000 Palestinians killed.
Israeli drone strikes killed five Palestinians on June 26, 2026, including three police officers targeted in a civilian vehicle near Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, according to WAFA. The attacks came despite a US-brokered ceasefire that has been in place since October 10, 2025 — a truce that Gaza's Health Ministry says has already cost 1,031 Palestinian lives and left 3,309 wounded.
The Palestinian Interior Ministry called the Maghazi strike a "heinous crime" designed to "spread chaos" and undermine law enforcement. It urged the international community and ceasefire guarantors to pressure Israel to stop targeting police and civilian areas.
Drone Fires Two Missiles at Police Vehicle in Maghazi
An Israeli combat drone fired two missiles at a civilian vehicle near the entrance of Maghazi refugee camp in the early afternoon, according to WAFA. The vehicle caught fire. Three officers inside were killed: Captain Mansour Sami Shahtout, Captain Mohammed Khaled Nofal, and First Sergeant Mahdi Nader Jabr, as identified by the Palestinian Interior Ministry. Their funerals were held in Deir el-Balah on June 27, AP reported.
Later that evening, a drone strike in Beit Lahia killed Oday Younis, 35. Witnesses told Anadolu Agency he was gathering firewood near Israeli military positions when the strike hit. His body was taken to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Ceasefire Exists on Paper but Killings Continue
The ceasefire, a 20-point plan brokered by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, took effect on October 10, 2025. Phase Two began on January 16, 2026, after the last Israeli hostage remains were returned. But the truce has never fully stopped the fighting. Since it began, 1,031 Palestinians have been killed and 3,309 wounded, Muslim Network TV reported, citing Gaza's Health Ministry.
The total toll since the war began on October 7, 2023, now exceeds 73,000 Palestinians killed and 173,000 wounded, according to WAFA. On June 9, the IDF struck a Hamas naval police headquarters in Khan Younis, saying it was used to "reconstitute capabilities," JNS reported. Israel has not commented on the specific Maghazi strike.
Israel and UN Clash Over Whether Police Are Legitimate Targets
A central dispute fuels each strike on Gazan police: who are they? Israel classifies Gaza's civil police as part of Hamas's military infrastructure and therefore fair targets. The UN Human Rights Office disagrees sharply. It says Gaza's police are civilians protected under international law. UN News reported that the UN condemned the "routine targeting of police personnel," citing at least 12 such attacks in 2026 alone.
The Gaza Government Media Office says 2,842 police officers have been killed since October 2023. By targeting local police, Israel prevents the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza — a technocratic body set up under the peace plan — from building civil order, according to analysts at FDD. The result: Hamas remains the only functioning authority in roughly 40% of the Strip.
Gaza Faces Hunger and a $70 Billion Rebuilding Bill
The humanitarian picture is dire. US Representative Rosa DeLauro reported that 77% of Gazans face hunger and only 40% of health facilities are still working. Nearly 2 million people remain displaced. The World Bank estimates it will cost over $70 billion to rebuild Gaza, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
An International Stabilization Force was proposed under the peace plan, with a target of 20,000 personnel. But small contingents from Egypt, Kosovo, and Albania are the only forces deployed so far, leaving the force far below its goal, FDD reported. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy recently described the situation as a "humanitarian nightmare" where aid remains "below promised levels."
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