Israeli strikes in Gaza kill two, first fatalities in over a week

Israeli strikes in Gaza killed two Palestinians on Thursday, August 13, 2026, including a senior police official, marking the first reported fatalities in more than a week as the military resumed targeted attacks under U.S. pressure to advance a peace plan. The violence continued despite a ceasefire agreement in effect since October 2025, with health officials documenting over 1,260 Palestinian deaths since the truce began.

The first strike targeted two people riding a motorbike in the Al-Amal neighborhood west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. One Palestinian was killed and another injured, according to medical sources. The Israeli military stated the strike targeted a Hamas commander planning an attack on its troops.

Later on Thursday, an Israeli drone launched three missiles at a vehicle on Al-Rashid Street southwest of Gaza City, killing Jamal Abu Kamil, 43, the director of police in Gaza province. Two other people were critically wounded in the attack. The Palestinian Interior Ministry confirmed the "assassination" of the police colonel. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported its crews transported Abu Kamil and several wounded civilians to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.