Israel's Targeted Police Killings in Gaza: 35 Officers Dead Since January under a 'Ceasefire'

On June 4–5, 2026, the Israeli military said it killed several senior Hamas internal security officials in an overnight strike in northern Gaza, including the deputy head of the group's General Security Service . Hamas had not confirmed the deaths at the time of the reports .

On May 6, 2026, an Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle near the al-Mawasi area in western Khan Younis, killing Colonel Naseem al-Kalazani, a senior officer in the Hamas-run police force who led the anti-narcotics unit . The attack wounded at least 17 other people .

On May 23, 2026, two Israeli missiles struck a police post in the al-Tawam area of northern Gaza, killing at least five police officers and wounding several others, according to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City .

Earlier, on March 15, 2026, an Israeli drone struck a police vehicle near the entrance to Al-Zawayda in central Gaza, killing eight police officers, including Colonel Iyad Abu Youssef, director of the Intervention and Public Order Police .

Pattern and Toll: A Systematic Campaign?

Israeli strikes on Gaza's police force have not paused since the ceasefire was declared . A documented count found at least 35 police officers were killed between January 2026 and mid-July 2026, across 12 separate attacks . Le Monde reported that 33 police officers were killed in the first six months of the ceasefire alone .

The Gaza government media office says it documented 2,400 Israeli ceasefire violations in the first six months of the ceasefire (October 2025–April 2026), including dozens of strikes targeting police . Those violations included 1,109 air strikes and other shelling attacks .

The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) described "repeated attacks" and "routine targeting" of Gaza's police force, warning that police are "crucial to peace and reconstruction efforts" . OHCHR stated that officers have been killed while directing traffic and patrolling streets and crowded markets . The office said this "systematic targeting" has caused a "collapse of civic and public order" . One analysis noted that the UN has assessed the pattern as potentially meeting the legal threshold for war crimes .

Analysts and Hamas officials argue the strikes are not isolated security operations but rather a systematic attempt to decapitate civil governance in Gaza . Al Jazeera reported that "political and strategic analysts warn that these daily incursions are not isolated security operations, but rather part of what appears to be a calculated pattern to kill law enforcement officers, medical professionals, government officials and intellectuals" .

Competing Claims: Who Is Violating the Ceasefire?

Israel's position: Israel says it targets Hamas-linked security forces because they are part of the militant group's military infrastructure, not civilian police . The IDF states it acts in response to Hamas ceasefire violations, including Hamas's refusal to release more hostages and alleged rebuilding of military capabilities . Israel characterizes the strikes as "necessary responses" to breaches of the truce .

Hamas's position: Hamas accuses Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement and escalating military attacks against civilians and civil servants . Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem has said the group remains committed to the ceasefire and called on mediators to ensure Israel complies with its obligations . Hamas rejects Israeli allegations that it is rebuilding military capabilities, calling them pretexts to justify continued strikes .

Independent and UN assessments: The UK's Foreign Office bulletin notes that "Israeli military operations and air strikes have continued in Gaza" despite the ceasefire . The UN Security Council has described the ceasefire as "far from perfect" with ongoing Israeli attacks . Both sides have traded accusations of non-compliance "within days" of the ceasefire taking effect .

Stalled Peace Talks: No Breakthrough in Sight

International mediation has made only limited headway since the ceasefire began.

Board of Peace (US-led): The Trump-administration-backed Board of Peace has scaled back its original plan for comprehensive Gaza reconstruction to a limited pilot project in southern Gaza — a temporary camp for a small segment of the 2 million displaced residents, not expected before the end of 2026 . Board of Peace meetings in Cyprus in early July 2026 were billed as a "reset" but yielded no major shifts . An envoy said in April 2026 that talks with Hamas were "not easy" and the plan needed "quick progress" .

Cairo ceasefire talks (Egypt, Qatar, Turkey): Mediators proposed a gradual Hamas disarmament in exchange for a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza . Hamas accepted 15 of the 16 proposed points but excluded the disarmament clause, which remains the central sticking point . Talks in June 2026 stalled over this issue .

Direct US–Hamas talks: The US held its first direct talks with Hamas in April 2026 since the ceasefire, aimed at advancing the peace plan — a significant diplomatic shift — but follow-through was described as limited .

Outlook: Mediators do not expect a breakthrough before Israeli elections in fall 2026 . The UN's Gaza High Representative told the Security Council in May 2026 there is "no tangible recovery in sight" . The situation is widely described as "neither war nor peace" — a fragile, violent status quo with no end visible .