Israeli drone strikes killed at least two people and wounded several others in Gaza on August 13, 2026, including Colonel Jamal Abu Kamil, the Gaza City police chief, who died when three missiles struck his vehicle on al-Rashid Street, southwest of Gaza City. Two others were injured in the attack, according to Gaza authorities [1]. Israeli military officials identified Abu Kamil as a Hamas commander and said he was targeted to remove a threat, but Gaza’s police force denied any militant connections, saying "Abu Kamil committed to his police duties and has no connection to other activities" [1].
The killing triggered sharp condemnation from Hamas, which called it "a continuation of the brutal crimes committed by the occupation" and accused Israel of attempting to sow chaos in Gaza [1]. Earlier on August 12, an Israeli airstrike critically wounded a Palestinian man riding a rickshaw in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza. Palestinian medics initially reported one killed but later confirmed the victim was seriously injured [2, 3].
On August 13, another strike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, hit a motorbike carrying two Palestinians, killing one, identified by Gaza’s Nasser Hospital as Huthaifa Kawari, and wounding the other [4, 1]. Accounts differ slightly on locations and casualties of some strikes, but overall the bombings resumed after a pause of over a week linked to U.S. pressure tied to peace negotiations spearheaded by then-U.S. President Donald Trump [2, 4, 1, 3, 5].
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejected the latest U.S.-backed Gaza peace plan, further straining talks. The ceasefire agreement in place since October 2024 has been repeatedly violated by both Israeli forces and militant groups. Gaza health ministry figures show Israeli fire has killed 1,259 Palestinians, most civilians, and wounded over 4,100 since the ceasefire began [3, 5]. Israeli sources report four Israeli soldiers have also been killed in Gaza since then [2, 4].
The ongoing conflict has devastated Gaza’s infrastructure, with roughly 90% of civilian facilities damaged and United Nations estimates putting reconstruction costs at $70 billion [3]. Hamas has accepted a 15-point peace deal to prevent full-scale war but insists on Israeli withdrawal and an end to attacks, conditions Netanyahu rejects [4, 1, 3, 5].
The latest airstrikes on August 12-13 signal a sharp escalation after a fragile lull. Israeli and Palestinian authorities continue to trade blame as violence intensifies despite the decade-old ceasefire. Further military actions or diplomatic efforts may develop in the coming days.
