Three Palestinians killed in central Gaza vehicle strike
Palestinian officials said the victims were police officers, as Hamas reported talks with mediators over enforcing the Gaza ceasefire.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
An Israeli strike on a vehicle in central Gaza killed three Palestinians and wounded others on Friday, according to Palestinian authorities and news agencies. The attack drew a fresh complaint from Gaza officials that Israel is targeting civil police despite a US-brokered ceasefire.
Palestine’s Ministry of the Interior and National Security said the strike took place at the entrance to the Maghazi refugee camp in Deir el-Balah. The ministry said the three people killed were police officers and identified them as Captain Mansour Sami Shahtout, Captain Mohammed Khaled Nofal and First Sergeant Mahdi Nader Jabr.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that an Israeli combat drone hit the vehicle near the camp entrance. Anadolu reported that the drone fired at least two missiles, setting the vehicle alight and causing deaths and injuries.
Video accounts from witnesses showed a car on fire on Salah al-Din Street after the strike, according to Al Jazeera and Anadolu. The bodies were reported to have been taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah.
The Interior Ministry condemned the attack in a Telegram statement and said it reflected an effort by Israeli forces to create disorder in Gaza by targeting police personnel. The ministry called on the international community and states backing the ceasefire to press Israel to stop attacks on the police force and its resources.
Ceasefire under strain
Al Jazeera reported that the US-brokered ceasefire has been in effect in Gaza since October 10, 2025. The outlet said Israeli attacks have continued to be reported across the enclave during the truce period.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said Israeli violations of the ceasefire had killed 1,031 Palestinians and injured 3,309 others as of Thursday. The ministry has said more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s war began in October 2023, according to Al Jazeera.
The strike came as Hamas said it was discussing the ceasefire with other Palestinian factions and regional mediators. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told Anadolu on Friday that the talks covered full implementation of the agreement, including unfinished elements of the first phase and ways to begin the second phase.
Qassem said a delegation from Hamas and other Palestinian factions is expected to travel to Cairo in the coming days to present a response to new proposals. He told Anadolu that Palestinian factions had previously reached understandings welcomed by mediators before Board of Peace envoy Nikolay Mladenov presented different approaches that Hamas and other factions are now reviewing.
Qassem accused Israel of major and continuing breaches of the ceasefire, including limits on humanitarian aid and continued killings. He also told Anadolu that Israel had expanded the “yellow line” into new parts of Gaza, with displacement and the demolition of homes.
Qassem said mediators should press Israel to implement what was agreed, especially humanitarian terms in the first phase, and help bring a national committee into Gaza to begin relief and reconstruction work. He said Palestinians did not want starvation, killing and destruction to continue while the world watched.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.