Israeli strikes kill 27 in Gaza, including three children

CAIRO/JERUSALEM: Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on Saturday killed at least 27 people, including three children, Palestinian health officials said. The attacks hit a police station, homes, and a tent camp in the city, causing widespread destruction.

The Israeli military said it targeted Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders, weapon caches, and manufacturing sites in response to what it described as a violation of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreed in October 2023 after two years of war.

Hamas, which controls just under half of Gaza, said Israel had violated the truce, but did not confirm if any of its members were killed in Saturday’s strikes.

The attacks came a day before the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt is due to reopen under U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war that has left much of Gaza in ruins.

Police station, homes, and tents hit

Israeli warplanes struck the Sheikh Radwan police station west of Gaza City, killing 10 police officers and detainees, according to local officials. Rescue teams were searching for additional casualties.

Other airstrikes hit homes in Gaza City and a tent encampment in Khan Younis, which shelters displaced Palestinians. Video footage showed destroyed buildings and debris scattered in streets and apartments.

Samer al-Atbash, uncle of the three children killed, said: “We found my three little nieces in the street. They say ‘ceasefire’ and all. What did those children do? What did we do?”

Israeli military statement

The Israeli military said the strikes were carried out after troops identified eight gunmen emerging from a tunnel in Rafah on Friday. Three of the gunmen were killed, and a Hamas commander was arrested. Hamas did not comment on the incident.

Dozens of Palestinian fighters remain trapped in tunnels under Rafah, though some have been killed in previous clashes.

Casualties since ceasefire

Violence has repeatedly shaken the ceasefire. According to Gaza health authorities, over 500 people, mostly civilians, have been killed by Israeli fire since October 2023, while Palestinian militants have killed four Israeli soldiers, according to Israeli officials.

The two sides continue to blame each other for truce violations, even as Washington presses them to move forward with the next phases of the ceasefire plan.

Trump plan and next steps The next phase of US-backed negotiations includes Hamas disarmament, further Israeli withdrawal, and deployment of an international peacekeeping force. Hamas has also proposed integrating its 10,000 police officers into a new Palestinian administration for Gaza, a move Israel is expe