People gather around a destroyed vehicle following an Israeli strike in the Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City on September 1, 2026. AFP
Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, said three Palestinians, two children and a woman, were killed and eight others wounded in the airstrikes on the Al-Katiba area.
Palestinian security sources told WAFA that the incident was an assassination attempt targeting an official in the Internal Security Service. According to the sources, an armed group arrived in the area on motorcycles and opened fire on two people before clashes erupted.
The sources accused Israeli forces of providing air cover for the group and facilitating its withdrawal by launching repeated airstrikes and targeting civilian vehicles in the area.
In a broadly similar account, Israel's Channel 12 reported that an armed group from the Gaza Strip, operating in coordination with the Israeli army, entered Gaza City and attempted to kidnap a senior Palestinian official before coming under heavy fire, prompting the Israeli Air Force to intervene to secure the group's withdrawal.
Israel's Channel 14 also quoted its correspondent, Hillel Biton-Rozen, as saying that a Gaza-based militia cooperating with Israel carried out an operation in western Gaza City targeting a Hamas position. According to the report, the operation was exposed, triggering an exchange of fire and ultimately causing it to fail.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army said its air force had recently struck several targets in the Gaza Strip, saying the strikes were aimed at "removing threats" to its forces. The army did not provide details on the nature of the targets or the operations in the Al-Katiba area.
Palestinian field sources reported more than 12 airstrikes in the vicinity of the area amid ongoing clashes. It was not immediately clear whether the confrontations involved an Israeli special forces unit or Palestinian armed groups.
Sources reported that Israeli forces deployed a large number of military vehicles to the "New Road" area near the former Abu Jarad Battalion site and the Netzarim Junction, completely closing Salah Al-Din Road.
Witnesses said Israeli airstrikes also destroyed several vehicles and tents belonging to displaced Palestinians and damaged homes in the area.
In a related development, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza, told WAFA that a girl, identified as Israa Al-Hissi, died from gunshot wounds after being shot east of Deir Al-Balah. Two other people were also wounded.
The hospital added that Israeli military vehicles had been advancing into the eastern part of Abu Al-Ajeen since the morning.
The developments come as several areas of the Gaza Strip continue to witness frequent clashes amid ongoing Israeli military operations and growing concerns over the safety of civilians in areas sheltering large numbers of displaced Palestinians.
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