Gaza City Police Chief Killed in Deadly Israeli Drone Strike as Air Raids Resume

Palestinians are seen gathering around a burning vehicle hit by an Israeli air strike that killed a senior police official in Gaza City on August 13, 2026. An Israeli drone strike has resulted in the death of the head of the civil police force in Gaza City.

Gaza’s Ministry of Interior stated that Colonel Jamal Abu Kamil, aged 43, was killed on Thursday when a drone fired three missiles at his vehicle along al-Rashid Street, located southwest of Gaza City. The strike also left two other individuals injured.

This fatal incident occurred just one day after Israel concluded a weeklong pause in its air raids across the strip. Despite the pause in aerial bombardments, deadly ground attacks persisted as Israel continued to violate the ceasefire agreement that had been established in October.

The Israeli military stated that the target of the strike on Abu Kamil was to "remove a threat," alleging without presenting evidence that he operated as a Hamas commander. Conversely, Gaza’s police force refuted this allegation through an official statement, emphasizing that Abu Kamil “committed to his police duties and has no connection to other activities.” Gaza’s Ministry of Interior further declared that Abu Kamil “was assassinated” in the course of the Israeli strike.

Hamas strongly condemned the killing in an official statement, describing it as “a continuation of the brutal crimes committed by the occupation against our Palestinian people” along with its “pathetic and failed attempts to spread chaos and lawlessness in the Gaza Strip.”

Earlier on Thursday, a separate Israeli strike targeted a motorbike carrying two people in Khan Younis, situated in southern Gaza. This attack resulted in one fatality and left the second person critically wounded. According to Gaza’s Nasser Hospital, the deceased was identified as Huthaifa Kawari. Israel maintained the assertion that it was targeting a Hamas commander, once again without providing supporting evidence.

Strikes Resume Across the Strip

On Wednesday, Israel conducted its initial air strike in Gaza since August 3, targeting a vehicle in Beit Lahiya. That attack killed a municipal worker and wounded five other individuals.

Prior to these events, Israel had suspended air raids for over a week under pressure from the United States following President Donald Trump’s declaration of a “major milestone” regarding his initiative to end the war. Last month, President Donald Trump announced that both Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement on his 15-point plan, intended for implementation by the Gaza Board of Peace, which outlined the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the disarmament of Hamas.

While Hamas indicated acceptance of the deal to avert a full-scale resumption of war, the organization maintained that implementation relies on Israel first withdrawing its troops and halting military attacks.

Nevertheless, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejected the agreement on Sunday, declaring that Israeli forces would not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas was “genuinely disarmed.” Air strikes resumed three days following this announcement.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, near-daily attacks by Israel since the October 10, 2025 ceasefire took effect have resulted in the deaths of over 1,250 Palestinians.

On Thursday, Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates issued a call for the implementation of the US-backed Gaza Peace Plan, while also condemning military attacks by Israeli forces against Palestinians attempting to return to Gaza, alongside ongoing settler violence in the occupied West Bank.