'Israeli' strikes kill at least 12 in Gaza despite ceasefire, health officials say

• At least 12 people, including six police officers, were killed in 'Israeli' strikes across Gaza despite a ceasefire, according to Palestinian health officials.

'Israeli' fire killed at least 12 people, including six police officers, across the Gaza Strip on Friday, according to Palestinian health officials and local medics.

An 'Israeli' strike in Gaza City killed three people, including two police officers, while tank shelling in Beit Lahiya killed two others. In southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, a separate strike killed seven people, including four police officers, medics said.

The 'Israeli' military confirmed it carried out a strike in Gaza City, claiming it was targeting Hamas fighters.

Gaza’s Interior Ministry said the strikes in Gaza City and Khan Younis targeted the local police force, which it described as part of Hamas’s governing structure in the enclave. The ministry said the Khan Younis strike hit a police vehicle near a wedding hall, according to medics and residents.

Ceasefire Violations

Violence has continued across Gaza despite an October 2025 ceasefire, with 'Israel' carrying out near-daily strikes, according to local reports. Palestinian health authorities say at least 800 people have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, while 'Israel' says four of its soldiers have been killed in that period.

Gaza health authorities say more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October 2023. 

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that displaced populations are facing worsening public health conditions, including widespread infestations of rodents, lice, and other parasites in overcrowded shelters.

“Destroyed buildings and mountains of accumulated waste have created ideal breeding grounds for rodents and pests,” said Reinhilde Van de Weerdt, WHO’s representative for the occupied territories.

The WHO estimates more than 70,000 cases of skin-related infestations have been reported this year, with scabies, lice, and bedbugs spreading widely in tented camps and emergency shelters.

More than half of Gaza remains under 'Israeli' military control, forcing displaced civilians into densely packed and increasingly unsanitary living conditions.