Sally Ibrahim
The New Arab / March 29, 2026
Israel has killed at least six people in an attack targeting police checkpoints in the Al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
At least six Palestinians, including police officers and civilians, were killed early Sunday morning in two Israeli drone strikes on Palestinian police checkpoints in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, local and medical sources said.
Several others were wounded and rushed to nearby hospitals as residents fled their homes in panic.
Speaking to The New Arab, local residents described scenes of chaos as the drones struck in the pre-dawn hours. The sound of explosions reverberated through the area, leaving families in fear.
“The explosions reverberated across neighbouring areas, leaving families shaken and children too frightened to sleep,” Fatima Abu Salem, a local resident, told TNA.
“We heard the explosions and immediately ran outside to see what had happened. We never expected the bombing to reach here. People are afraid to leave their places. Even the children cannot sleep because of fear,” she said.
Abu Salem added, “The killing of these young men is not only a loss for their families, but for the whole community. They were maintaining security here. Now, there is a void that nobody knows how to fill.”
Mahmoud Shehadeh (34), a father of two who runs a small trade business, told The New Arab, “Every day we wake up to news of bombings. Anxiety has become part of our lives.”
“No one can guarantee our safety, even on main streets. We feel helpless and constantly in danger. Sometimes we ask ourselves, why are we the ones paying the price while the world watches in silence?” he said.
Medical sources confirmed that the victims included both police officers stationed at the checkpoints and civilians passing nearby.
Ambulance crews and hospital teams worked under intense pressure to treat the wounded, navigating the aftermath amid a backdrop of growing insecurity.
These airstrikes continue a recent pattern of Israeli attacks on Palestinian police and security institutions in Gaza, in violation of the ceasefire that supposedly took effect in October 2025.
The humanitarian situation has also worsened, with restrictions on the entry of medical and food supplies hampering hospitals’ ability to cope with casualties.
Gaza authorities warn that shortages of basic necessities are deepening daily. “Hospitals are operating at the breaking point. Every strike brings more wounded, but our resources are limited. We cannot continue at this pace,” Mohammed Abu Selmeia, the director of Shifa hospital in Gaza City, told TNA.
On Saturday, the Palestinian Presidency issued a statement warning of the dangers posed by continued Israeli attacks on Gaza as well as escalating settler violence in the West Bank.
Presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a press statement that “since the ceasefire was declared in October 2025, Israeli operations have killed 692 Palestinians. Restrictions on humanitarian aid have deepened the crisis in violation of international resolutions.”
Abu Rudeineh also highlighted the deteriorating situation in the West Bank, saying, “Settler attacks continue under the protection of the Israeli army. The continuation of these policies will render all wars in the region futile.”
He called on the international community and the US administration to pressure Israel to halt its war on the Palestinian people, ensure the consolidation of the ceasefire, allow aid into Gaza, and stop settler violence.
Rawhi Fattouh, head of the Palestinian National Council, described the airstrikes as a “war crime.”
He stressed that Israel’s ongoing military operations in the Palestinian territories violate international humanitarian law and breach the cessation of hostilities agreement.
“These policies reflect an aggressive approach based on deliberate killings, targeting civilians, and destroying their property,” Fattouh said.
Sally Ibrahim is The New Arab’s correspondent from Gaza
