Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the continued crimes perpetrated by Israeli occupation forces against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, despite the ceasefire agreement and the Cairo understandings aimed at ending the war and initiating the implementation of the roadmap. These crimes include repeated attacks targeting displaced persons in shelters and tents, police stations, and gatherings of civilians, resulting in the killing of 17 Palestinians and the injury of dozens of others within less than 24 hours.

According to field information, at approximately 18:00 on Tuesday, 18 August 2026, an Israeli airstrike targeted a group of Palestinians who were visiting a recreational area in the vicinity of the Fishermen’s Port, west of Gaza City. The attack killed seven Palestinians and injured 14 others with varying degrees of injury. Within less than 24 hours, at approximately 14:00 on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, another Israeli airstrike targeted a motorcycle travelling west of Camp 2, south of Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, killing one Palestinian and injuring several others. At approximately 14:30 on the same day, an Israeli warplane targeted the Municipalities Police headquarters on Omar Al-Mukhtar Street, adjacent to the Municipal Park in Gaza City. The attack killed nine Palestinians and injured others, most of whom were members of the Palestinian Police.

A displaced Palestinian, identified as (M.L.), who resides in the Al-Saraya area near the Municipal Park, stated:

“I heard a loud explosion very close to where I was staying, so I went with several of my neighbours to the site of the attack. I saw smoke rising near Gaza Municipal Park. When I arrived, I saw a large number of police officers lying on the ground, most of them torn apart. The police headquarters near the park had been targeted. I also saw injured children and women. The area is usually crowded and serves as a recreational space for people, particularly children. Families regularly go there to entertain their children, allowing them to play and release their energy. It is one of the few places that still has green spaces where people can enjoy the view away from the scenes of destruction.”

A Palestinian woman, identified as (S.K.), reported that she had been on the seafront near the recreational area that was targeted, accompanied by her children, in order to spend some time together and allow the children to swim, as well as to escape for a while from the heat and suffocating conditions inside their tent. She stated:

“Suddenly, we heard an explosion that shook the area, and we started running. We were deeply shocked by what we saw. The recreational area near the Fishermen’s Port had been bombed. I saw injured people and others lying on the ground, including a number of women and children.”

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the number of Palestinians killed since the signing of the ceasefire agreement in Sharm El-Sheikh and its entry into force on 11 October 2025 has risen to 1,283, while 4,283 others have been injured.[1] Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces continue to target areas in the eastern Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing movement of military vehicles beyond the Yellow Line.

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the ongoing Israeli crimes and the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, as well as the deliberate worsening of humanitarian conditions as a form of collective punishment and an aspect of the genocide being perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces. The Israeli occupation forces bear full responsibility for these crimes, particularly as they deliberately seek to further deteriorate the humanitarian situation despite the ceasefire agreement and the Cairo understandings aimed at ending the war on Gaza.

The Center stresses that, by continuing to perpetrate genocide in Gaza, the Israeli occupation forces continue to disregard international decisions and fail to comply with the declared obligations and understandings aimed at ending the war and protecting civilians, including the Cairo understandings. The systematic continuation of these crimes and the prevailing impunity constitute a challenge to the rule of international law and require effective and urgent international action to ensure that the Israeli occupation forces comply with international humanitarian law and bring their genocidal campaign to an end, provide effective protection for civilians, and establish mechanisms for accountability and prosecution for the crimes committed, thereby ensuring the protection of civilians.

Accordingly, the Center calls on the international community to take effective action and exert pressure on the Israeli occupation forces to halt the crime of genocide and the ongoing massacres, allow the entry of humanitarian aid, fuel, and medical equipment, provide displaced persons with personal hygiene and sanitary supplies, ensure access to clean water, and support emergency interventions by international institutions and agencies.