An Israeli strike on a police post in northern Gaza has killed several people, according to officials, though casualty figures vary between news outlets reporting on the attack.

According to the BBC, seven people were killed in the strike. Al Jazeera put the toll at eight, reporting that a civilian was among those killed alongside police personnel.

Both outlets reported that a senior figure in the Hamas-run police force was among the dead. The BBC described him as a senior officer, while Al Jazeera identified him as the station chief.

Israel’s military said the strike targeted “terrorists”, according to the BBC. The military’s account frames the operation as directed at militant activity.

Gaza’s interior ministry denounced the attack, describing it as a “horrific massacre” that killed the station chief, other police personnel and a civilian, according to Al Jazeera.

The differing accounts from Israeli authorities and Gaza officials reflect the sharply contrasting narratives around strikes on sites linked to Hamas-run institutions, including the police force.