Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip killed more than 30 people on Saturday, according to Palestinian health officials, in what was described as one of the most intense rounds of bombardment since a ceasefire took effect in October, underscoring the fragility of the truce as diplomatic efforts continue to push toward a broader settlement.
Palestinian officials said the strikes hit houses, tents sheltering displaced families and a police station, killing at least 32 people. Among the dead were three young girls from the same family. The Gaza civil defence rescue service said search efforts were ongoing in several locations for possible additional casualties.
The Israeli military said the attacks were carried out in response to what it described as a breach of the ceasefire a day earlier, when troops identified eight gunmen emerging from a tunnel in Rafah, a southern Gaza area under Israeli control as part of the truce. Israeli forces said three fighters were killed and a fourth, described as a Hamas commander, was arrested during the encounter. Hamas did not comment on the incident.
Israel carried out its heaviest airstrikes in Gaza in weeks on Saturday, killing over two dozen people including three children in attacks on a police station, houses and tents, Palestinian health officials said https://t.co/S0i8ayIIm2 pic.twitter.com/Bhbn4C8V4a
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 31, 2026
Israeli officials said the strikes targeted commanders, weapons caches and manufacturing sites linked to Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad. Hamas, which retains control of just under half of Gaza, accused Israel of violating the ceasefire but did not say whether any of its members or facilities were hit.
One of the deadliest attacks struck the Sheikh Radwan police station west of Gaza City, where Gaza police said 13 people were killed, including five officers. Hamas-run police said rescue teams were still searching the site for additional victims. Other strikes hit at least two houses in Gaza City and a tent encampment housing displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis in the south.
The violence comes as Israel is set to reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Sunday under a plan advanced by U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at winding down the war. The conflict began after Hamas-led gunmen attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Israeli officials have said the fighting could resume more broadly if Hamas refuses to lay down its weapons.
Despite the ceasefire, clashes have continued, particularly around Rafah, where dozens of Hamas fighters have remained trapped in underground tunnels. Some have been killed in intermittent confrontations with Israeli forces since the truce took effect.
Palestinian health officials say more than 500 people, most of them civilians, have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire began. Israeli authorities say Palestinian militants have killed four Israeli soldiers over the same period. Both sides have accused each other of violating the agreement.
Washington has been pressing Israel and Hamas to move ahead with the next phases of the ceasefire framework, which are intended to bring a permanent end to the conflict. Those talks are expected to address unresolved and contentious issues, including Hamas disarmament, further Israeli troop withdrawals from Gaza and the possible deployment of an international peacekeeping force.
Hamas has long rejected disarmament and has recently sought to have its roughly 10,000 police officers incorporated into a new U.S.-backed Palestinian administration for Gaza, a proposal expected to face strong opposition from Israel.
