In brief
Two Israeli airstrikes on Nov. 1, 2026, struck Gaza’s al‑Mawasi and al‑Rimal areas, killing eight Palestinians, five police officers and a four‑year‑old boy. Israeli officials claim they targeted a terrorist, while Hamas and local sources denounce the attacks as a deliberate war crime. Both sides have highlighted different narratives and the cumulative toll of the conflict continues to rise.
On Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, Israeli drone strikes hit two sites in the Gaza Strip, killing at least eight Palestinians, including five police officers and a four‑year‑old boy, according to local and medical sources in Gaza as reported by Xinhua and Al Jazeera.
In the al‑Mawasi area west of Khan Younis, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a group of police personnel. The Nasser Medical Complex said five people were killed and several others wounded, some seriously. Gaza’s Ministry of Interior confirmed that the five victims were members of the General Directorate of Police who were “performing routine duties” at the time of the strike.
Later that day, an airstrike on the al‑Rimal neighbourhood west of Gaza City struck a gathering of civilians. Three Palestinians, including a four‑year‑old boy, were killed and six others wounded, some critically. The Taj Mall, a commercial hub, was also hit. A separate casualty resulting from earlier injuries was reported by Al Jazeera’s sources at Al‑Shifa Hospital.
Israeli forces denied immediate comment on either strike, but an army spokesperson told the AFP news agency that the target in southern Gaza was a “terrorist.”
Hamas condemned the incidents as a deliberate war crime.
"This is yet another chapter in the ongoing series of Zionist atrocities against our Palestinian people…a continuation of the genocidal war," stated a Hamas spokesperson. This statement denounced the “horrific massacre” that targeted police officers and the “bombardment of Gaza City” that killed and wounded civilians.Gaza health authorities reported 1,580 Palestinians killed and 5,711 wounded in the enclave since the ceasefire in October 2025, and a cumulative toll of 74,594 dead and 175,834 wounded since the start of the conflict on Oct. 7, 2023. The Interior authorities have recorded 75 police officers killed since the ceasefire.
The sources leave several key points unresolved. Israeli claims that the airstrikes were aimed at a terrorist stand in contrast to Palestinian accounts that police officers were targeted while they performed routine duties. The legality of striking civilian areas such as the al‑Rimal neighbourhood, the status of the Taj Mall as a commercial target, and the adherence to the October 2025 ceasefire remain disputed by the parties involved.