Israeli Strikes Kill Four in Gaza
PHOTO CAPTION: Palestinians gather at the site of Israeli strikes and gunfire in Gaza City, September 1, 2026. REUTERS/Ebrahim Hajjaj
CAIRO, Sept. 1 — At least four Palestinians, including three children, were killed Tuesday during Israeli strikes and gunfire in Gaza as an operation to detain a Hamas militant unfolded, according to Gaza officials and medics.
Hamas official Ismail Al-Thawabta said an Israeli special force attempting an operation in Gaza City was detected, prompting heavy Israeli airstrikes as the force withdrew. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said a senior Hamas militant had been arrested but did not identify him or provide details about how the operation was carried out.
An Israeli security official said the detained man was the head of Hamas’ internal security service. Some Israeli media reports said the raid may have been carried out by members of an Israeli-backed militia operating from Israeli-controlled areas inside Gaza.
Witnesses said Israeli warplanes fired at least 12 missiles near the Katiba area in western Gaza City, which is crowded with displaced families. Medics said two children and a woman were killed and several others wounded, while two vehicles were struck and reduced to wreckage.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it struck several targets across the Gaza Strip to remove threats to Israeli security forces.
“This is our policy: we do not wait for threats, but rather pursue Hamas terrorists, thwart them, and destroy their terror infrastructure,” Katz said during a visit to the Netiv HaAsara community near the northern Gaza border.
In a separate incident, medics said a girl, Israa Al-Hissi, was killed and two others wounded when Israeli forces operating east of Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza opened fire on the area.
Ceasefire has not ended Israeli strikes
A U.S.-backed ceasefire that took effect in October 2025 ended the large-scale fighting that had devastated Gaza but has not stopped Israeli strikes.
Israel says its continuing operations are intended to prevent attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups. Hamas accuses Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire and undermining efforts to advance a broader plan by President Donald Trump to end the war.
That plan calls for additional Israeli troop withdrawals from Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas.
More than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect last October, according to Gaza health officials. The Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have been killed in militant attacks during the same period.
(Source: Reuters)
