Mourners carry the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, according to medical services, during funerals in Gaza, on Aug. 26, 2026. (Credit: Dawoud Abu Alkas/ Reuters)
The Israeli military said Saturday it had targeted a Hamas commander inside a hospital compound in Gaza, while health authorities in the Palestinian territory reported three deaths in other Israeli strikes.
Without saying whether the commander was killed or identifying him, the military said it had targeted a commander from the Palestinian militant group who ‘‘was hiding within the grounds’’ of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.
The military said the commander, who ‘‘was preparing terrorist attacks against Israeli soldiers [IDF] and civilians,’’ was targeted in a building adjacent to the hospital’s main facilities.
The hospital, meanwhile, said three people were wounded in an Israeli strike near a warehouse close to the maternity ward.
The military said it had taken steps to ‘‘reduce the risks to civilians,’’ adding that it had warned Gaza health authorities two days earlier to ‘‘stop using medical facilities for terrorist purposes.’’
Earlier Saturday, the same hospital reported that one person had been killed by Israeli gunfire in the eastern part of the city. The Israeli military said it was checking the report.
The latest clashes came despite a cease-fire that took effect in October 2025.
In Gaza City, Civil Defense, which operates under Hamas authorities, said an Israeli strike near a roundabout in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood killed two people and wounded several others.
When contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it had targeted a ‘‘military operative’’ in the area.
Israel has continued to carry out strikes and advance in parts of the Gaza Strip despite the cease-fire negotiated under U.S. auspices.
Israel says it must eliminate threats from Hamas, which carried out the unprecedented Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war.
Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed at least 1,313 people since the cease-fire took effect, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.
The Israeli military has reported five of its soldiers killed during the same period, as well as one civilian contractor.