Escalation in Gaza: Israeli Air Strikes Result in 32 Palestinian Deaths

Mon Feb 02 2026 15:21:02 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A series of Israeli air strikes have claimed the lives of at least 32 Palestinians, including children and women, amidst ongoing tensions in the Gaza Strip. The strikes have been described as the most severe since a recent ceasefire began.

Israeli air strikes on Gaza have resulted in at least 32 fatalities, including women and children. The attacks, which occurred in response to alleged violations of a ceasefire agreement by Hamas, have drawn condemnation from various international actors. Local health authorities report that the strikes hit residential areas and displaced shelters, intensifying fears of escalating violence in the region.

At least 32 people have been killed in a wave of Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to local authorities.

The civil defence agency, which is operated by Hamas, says children and women were among those killed. It added that in one attack, helicopter gunships hit a tent sheltering displaced people in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Palestinians have described these strikes as the heaviest since the second phase of the ceasefire, brokered by US President Trump last October, came into effect earlier this month.

The Israeli military confirmed that a number of strikes were carried out in response to what it said was a Hamas violation of the agreement on Friday.

Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the truce since it came into effect last year. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said eight terrorists were identified exiting the underground terror infrastructure in eastern Rafah.

The IDF detailed that it struck various targets including four commanders and additional terrorists as well as a weapons storage facility, a weapons manufacturing site, and two launch sites belonging to Hamas in the central Gaza Strip.

Hamas has condemned the strikes and urged the US to take immediate action, adding that these ongoing violations confirm that the Israeli government continues its brutal war of genocide against the strip.

It said that seven of the victims were from one displaced family in Khan Younis, emphasizing the humanitarian toll of the attacks on residential areas.

Shifa hospital in Gaza City reported that an air strike hit a residential apartment, killing three children and two women, exacerbating the grief of many families.

Video footage and images from across Gaza showed several bodies being lifted out of rubble and numerous destroyed buildings, highlighting the devastating impact of the strikes.

The Rafah crossing, Gaza's border with Egypt, is expected to reopen following the strike-related deaths, with Egypt's foreign ministry condemning the violence and urging restraint.

This concerning escalation underscores the fragile state of peace as international mediators, including Qatar, again call for de-escalation. The ongoing conflict, which reignited on October 7, 2023, continues to claim lives on both sides, complicating any hopes for a durable resolution.