February 1, 2026 — Israeli airstrikes claim at least 30 lives across Gaza, including several children, marking one of the deadliest days since the October ceasefire took effect. The attacks occur just one day after Israel points to Hamas truce violations, heightening tensions in the region.
Details of the Strikes
The military operations target multiple sites, from an apartment building in Gaza City to a tent camp in Khan Younis. Hospital officials report receiving bodies from these locations, with casualties including two women and six children from two separate families.
A significant airstrike hits a police station in Gaza City, killing at least 14 people and injuring others, according to Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiya. The assault also strikes the eastern side of Jabaliya refugee camp, claiming one additional life.
In Khan Younis, a strike on the tent camp ignites a fire, resulting in seven deaths, including a father, his three children, and three grandchildren, as stated by Nasser Hospital officials. Survivor Atallah Abu Hadaiyed describes the chaos: “We came running and found my cousins lying here and there, with fire raging. We don’t know if we’re at war or at peace, or what. Where is the truce? Where is the ceasefire they talked about?” He shares this while inspecting the ruins, including a bloodied mattress.
At the Gaza City apartment building, the attack kills three girls, their aunt, and their grandmother. Relative Samir Al-Atbash recounts: “The three girls are gone, may God have mercy on them. They were asleep, we found them in the street.” He emphasizes that the family consists of civilians with no ties to Hamas. Names appear on body bags aligned against a wall at Shifa Hospital.
The police station strike also affects four policewomen, civilians, and inmates, hospital records confirm.
Israeli Military Justification
The Israeli military attributes the strikes to a ceasefire breach the previous day, where troops spot eight gunmen emerging from a tunnel in Rafah, a southern Gaza area under Israeli control per the truce agreement. Officials note that operations since October respond to similar violations along the ceasefire line.
Timing and Ceasefire Implications
These events unfold one day before the Rafah crossing with Egypt prepares to reopen in Gaza’s southernmost city. All border crossings—others with Israel—remain closed for most of the war, making Rafah vital for tens of thousands seeking medical treatment abroad, as much of Gaza’s healthcare system lies in ruins.
The limited reopening aligns with the second phase of the US-brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire plan. Key challenges ahead include demilitarizing the territory after nearly two decades of Hamas governance and establishing a new administration for reconstruction.
International and Hamas Reactions
Egypt, a key ceasefire mediator, condemns the strikes in the strongest terms, viewing them as a direct threat to the truce’s political progress. Qatar, another mediator, labels the actions a dangerous escalation that endangers the overall process.
Hamas denounces the strikes as a renewed violation and calls on the US and other mediators to compel Israel to halt them. Senior official Bassem Naim posts on X: “All available indicators suggest that we are dealing with a ‘Board of War’, not a ‘Board of Peace’,” questioning the Trump administration-proposed international body for Gaza governance.
Broader Context
Saturday’s death toll exceeds several times the daily average since the ceasefire began. Gaza’s Health Ministry records at least 520 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in that period. The ministry, operating under Hamas-led governance, provides casualty data considered reliable by UN agencies and independent experts.
The conflict originates from a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and taking 251 hostages. Authorities recover the remains of the last hostage from Gaza earlier this week.
