IDF Missiles Kill 5 Police Officers and 13-Year-Old Boy at Northern Gaza Police Post

Israeli forces fired two missiles at a Hamas police post in the at-Tawam area of northern Gaza on May 23, 2026, killing five Hamas police officers and a 13-year-old civilian boy. At least 10 additional people were wounded, including one in critical condition transferred to Al-Shifa Hospital. Hamas condemned the strikes, stating Israel was deliberately targeting police infrastructure to 'create a security vacuum' in Gaza and undermine civil governance ahead of disarmament talks. The targeting of police structures follows a pattern of near-daily IDF operations against Hamas civil and security institutions under the October 2025 ceasefire — part of a stated Israeli strategy to fragment Hamas governance capacity while disarmament negotiations remain deadlocked with the Board of Peace. The cumulative post-ceasefire Palestinian death toll exceeded 940+ following this strike.