An Israeli airstrike on a police vehicle on Nafaq Street in Gaza City killed at least four people, including a child, health officials said. Witnesses said the blast set the car on fire and that residents and rescue teams searched the scene, though it was unclear how many of the dead were policemen. The incident adds tension to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that has left Israeli forces controlling a large depopulated zone while Hamas governs a narrow coastal strip. Both sides accuse each other of violating the truce, and hundreds have died since it began.
Israeli Airstrike on Gaza Police Vehicle Kills At Least Four, Medics Say
Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli strike targeted a police vehicle in Gaza City, according to medics, in Gaza City, April 14, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
An Israeli airstrike struck a police vehicle on Nafaq Street in Gaza City on Tuesday, killing at least four people, including a child, health officials in the territory said. Medics and eyewitnesses reported the blast set the vehicle ablaze, and residents and rescue teams searched the wreckage for additional victims.
It was not immediately clear how many of the dead were police officers. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli strike targeted a police vehicle in Gaza City, according to medics, in Gaza City, April 14, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Ceasefire Context
The incident comes amid tensions under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that began last October and halted two years of open warfare. The truce left Israeli troops controlling a depopulated zone that makes up well over half of Gaza, while Hamas governs the remaining narrow coastal strip.
Gaza officials from Hamas say Israel has stepped up strikes on Hamas-led police and security forces since October, killing dozens and accusing Israel of seeking to sow chaos. Israel says its operations aim to prevent attacks by Hamas and other militant factions.
More than 750 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, according to health authorities in Gaza, while militants have killed four Israeli soldiers. Both sides have blamed the other for ceasefire violations. Palestinians also say Israeli forces have expanded the area they occupy; Israel denies those claims.
(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
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