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// DOSSIER — israeli-strikes-kill-gaza-idf-criminal-probes
Israeli Strikes Kill 10 in Gaza as IDF Announces First Criminal Probes Into Troop Conduct
REL_TIME: 20 Aug 2026 23:14Z · LANG: EN
On August 19, 2026, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed at least 10 Palestinians, including nine at a municipal police station in Gaza City. Among the dead was Faten Al-Sahhar, the head of Gaza's women's police department. The escalation followed a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US envoy Jared Kushner, where Netanyahu rejected a US-proposed Hamas disarmament plan but agreed to continue military strikes. Concurrently, the Israeli military announced its first criminal investigations into troop conduct, focusing on the high-profile killings of five-year-old Hind Rajab and 15 Palestinian paramedics. However, the IDF declined to launch criminal probes into strikes that killed aid workers from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders, drawing sharp international condemnation from aid groups and foreign governments.
// Background
The ongoing violence persists despite a fragile US-backed ceasefire signed in October 2025. Since the ceasefire, at least 1,273 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. Historically, Israeli soldiers are rarely held accountable for killing Palestinians; rights groups note that only 0.17% of military investigations between 2014 and 2022 led to prosecution. The broader conflict has claimed over 73,000 Palestinian lives since October 2023, amid rising regional tensions involving US-led peace initiatives, far-right Israeli legislative actions, and US threats against regional mediators like Oman.
// Key Developments
- An Israeli airstrike on a Gaza City police station killed nine people, including women's police chief Faten Al-Sahhar and a 13-year-old girl.
- The IDF launched its first criminal investigations into the deaths of five-year-old Hind Rajab and 15 paramedics, while refusing to probe strikes on World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders.
- Prime Minister Netanyahu met with US envoy Jared Kushner and agreed to continue strikes in Gaza despite Hamas committing to a US-proposed disarmament plan.
- National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced the construction of an execution chamber for Palestinian prisoners and called for 30 to 40 targeted assassinations nightly.
// Timeline
-
Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel trigger a full-scale war.
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Five-year-old Hind Rajab, her family, and two rescue paramedics are killed by Israeli fire in Gaza City.
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Israeli airstrikes incinerate a World Central Kitchen convoy, killing seven aid workers.
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Israeli troops fire on emergency vehicles in Rafah, killing 15 paramedics and burying them in a mass grave.
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A fragile US-backed ceasefire deal is established, though low-level strikes and casualties continue.
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Israeli strikes kill two Palestinians, including police colonel Jamal Abu Kmail, ending a week-long lull in fatalities.
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An Israeli strike on Gaza City's seaport kills at least six people at a displaced persons' cafe.
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IDF strikes a Gaza City police station, killing nine people; simultaneously, the military announces its first criminal probes into the deaths of Hind Rajab and the 15 paramedics.
// Perspectives
[Israeli Military (IDF)]
Maintains that its internal justice system is capable of addressing troop misconduct, while defending the decision not to criminally prosecute commanders involved in the World Central Kitchen strike as a non-criminal error.
[Palestinian Red Crescent and Victims' Families]
Reject internal Israeli military investigations as insufficient whitewashing and demand independent international probes to achieve genuine justice.
[Far-Right Israeli Coalition (Itamar Ben-Gvir)]
Advocates for extreme punitive measures, including building gallows for Palestinian prisoners and conducting dozens of nightly targeted assassinations in Gaza.
[International Allies (US and Australia)]
Pressuring Israel to scale back attacks, with Australia expressing outrage over the lack of criminal accountability for the deaths of foreign aid workers.
// Quotes
“An international investigation is required to uncover the truth and hold all those responsible accountable.”
“We are not obligated to prove the truth because it is already proven to the whole world.”
“wrong and painful”
