Four Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes targeting separate areas of the Gaza Strip from dawn on Sunday 4 October, as bombardment and gunfire continued despite the ceasefire agreement being in force.
Israeli military announces killing of commander in Khan Younis
The Israeli military, for its part, announced that it had carried out a strike in the Khan Younis area which it said killed Saqr Nabil Mousa al-Qaisi, whom it accused of belonging to Hamas’s elite unit and participating in the 7 October attack. Israeli military spokesperson Ella Waweya said in a post on X that al-Qaisi had taken part in storming Israeli areas during the 7 October attack.
She added that, according to the military’s account, his activities were not limited to his role within Hamas but also included serving as director of the Turkish Deniz Feneri association, which presents itself as an organisation working in humanitarian aid. The Israeli military alleged that the association maintained ties with senior Hamas leaders and with figures in the Turkish leadership.
It also accused al-Qaisi of using his position to employ a large number of people whom the military described as permanent members of the movement, as well as providing financial support to Hamas members and raising funds for the movement under the cover of humanitarian work.
The military added that al-Qaisi had recently worked to advance plans targeting Israeli forces and Israeli citizens, and to rebuild Hamas’s capabilities, considering these activities a systematic breach of the ceasefire agreement. It said the strike was carried out to eliminate what it described as the threat posed by al-Qaisi.
According to the military statement, measures were taken before the strike which it said were intended to reduce subsequent harm to civilians as far as possible, including the use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance. The military said it continued to target what it described as Hamas’s military activity financing capabilities, with the aim of preventing the rehabilitation of the movement’s infrastructure and military capabilities.
The statement said Israeli Southern Command forces were deployed in the area in accordance with the agreement and would continue to act against any immediate threat. The military announcement came as strikes and gunfire continued in several parts of the Gaza Strip, with more deaths and injuries recorded in recent days.
Ongoing strikes leave people killed and injured in Gaza
Medical sources reported on Saturday that five Palestinians, including four women, had been killed in an Israeli strike targeting a residential flat west of Gaza City. Other parts of the Gaza Strip came under artillery fire, alongside demolition operations targeting buildings in the Tuffah neighbourhood east of the city. Three Palestinians were also killed and others injured on Friday in Israeli attacks targeting separate areas of the Gaza Strip.
The attacks included strikes by unmanned aircraft around Ansar Roundabout west of Gaza City, Palestine Stadium in the city centre and a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp, as well as gunfire and artillery shelling in parts of Khan Younis. Gaza’s Ministry of Health said hospitals in the Gaza Strip had received nine people killed and 18 injured over the previous 24 hours.
Casualty toll and closure of the West Bank and crossings
In statements issued on Sunday, it added that the death toll since the ceasefire came into effect in October 2025 had reached 1,454, with 5,090 injured. The continuation of the strikes coincided with an Israeli decision to impose a comprehensive closure on the West Bank and close the Gaza Strip crossings on 5 and 7 October, coinciding with the anniversary of the 7 October attack.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the decision based on a military recommendation and an assessment of the security situation. The decision includes closing crossings and checkpoints to Palestinian movement on the two specified days, with limited exceptions allowed for humanitarian and medical cases.
The measure imposes additional restrictions on the movement of residents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as field tensions and incidents described as breaches of the ceasefire agreement continue. In the West Bank, the security restrictions were accompanied by raids and arrests carried out by Israeli forces in several areas.
Arrests in the West Bank before closure begins
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office said Israeli forces arrested 15 Palestinians on Sunday in separate areas of the West Bank, before the planned closure of crossings and checkpoints was implemented on 5 and 7 October.
