Israeli strike on Gaza police post kills at least seven, officials say

What happened

BBC Middle East reports that an Israeli air strike on a Hamas-run police post in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza killed at least seven people, including a senior police officer. The attack involved an Israeli drone firing four missiles and struck near a busy market. The Hamas-run interior ministry identified the senior officer as Colonel Mohammed Marwan Salem, head of the local police station, condemning the strike as a "massacre."

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. The Israeli military stated that Salem was the head of military security for Hamas's Central Jabalia Battalion and said three others killed—Abdul Malik al-Jabin, Ghassan al-Daqas, and Yaman Abu Obeida—were "terrorists," with the first two identified as police officers. These casualty designations come solely from Israeli military statements and Hamas officials. All the reported casualties were taken to al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.

Disputing the military claims, Mohammed Moussa, uncle of another killed police officer, told Reuters that his relative was a civilian police officer on duty in a civilian vehicle and questioned the purpose of targeting him. Additional reported casualties include two people killed in southern Gaza: a man reportedly killed in Khan Younis during an Israeli strike said by medics to have injured three others, and a 10-year-old boy shot in Rafah, with no comment from the Israeli military on the boy’s death.

Known from the source

• An Israeli air strike targeted a Hamas-run police post in Jabalia, northern Gaza, killing at least seven people including a senior officer.
• The senior officer killed was Col Mohammed Marwan Salem, head of the local police station, according to Hamas-run interior ministry officials.
• The Israeli military identified Salem as head of military security for Hamas’s Central Jabalia Battalion and named three others killed as Abdul Malik al-Jabin, Ghassan al-Daqas, and Yaman Abu Obeida, describing them as "terrorists."
• Casualties were taken to al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.
• A relative of one killed officer claims he was a civilian police officer and questions the targeting.

What remains unclear

The strike and related casualties occur amid ongoing ceasefire violations reported by both Israel and Hamas since the truce took effect in October 2025. Since then, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry claims over 1,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, while Israel reports four soldier deaths from Palestinian attacks. The overall conflict context remains tense following the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, which led to Israel’s military campaign killing over 73,000 people in Gaza per local health records.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verification of civilian versus combatant status for the people killed in the Jabalia strike, including the officer described by his uncle as a civilian police officer. Independent confirmation of the death toll in this strike and additional reported casualties in Khan Younis and Rafah. Clarification on the identity and role of the other individuals killed as named by the Israeli military.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: BBC Middle East Gaza. Open the source.