Israeli Air Strikes Kill at Least 32 Palestinians Across Gaza, Local Officials Say

At least 32 Palestinians were killed in Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to local rescue and health officials.

Gaza’s civil defence agency said women and children were among the victims. Several strikes hit homes, tents and shelters where displaced families were staying.

One of the attacks took place in the southern city of Khan Younis. Officials said helicopter gunships struck a tent sheltering displaced people. Seven members of one family were killed.

Other strikes hit residential buildings, shelters and a police station in different parts of Gaza, the agency said.

Residents described the attacks as the heaviest since the latest phase of the ceasefire began earlier this month.

The Israeli military confirmed carrying out the strikes. It said they were launched after Hamas violated the ceasefire agreement on Friday.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said eight militants were seen leaving underground infrastructure in eastern Rafah. Israeli forces remain deployed in that area under the ceasefire deal.

The military said it struck several targets with the Israel Security Agency. These included four Hamas commanders, weapons storage sites, a weapons manufacturing location and two launch positions in central Gaza.

Hamas condemned the strikes. The group accused Israel of breaking the ceasefire and called on the United States to intervene.

At Gaza City’s Shifa hospital, officials said an air strike hit a residential apartment. Five people were killed, including three children and two women.

“We found my three little nieces in the street,” said Samer al-Atbash, an uncle of the children, speaking to Reuters. “They talk about a ceasefire. What did these children do?”

Video footage from Gaza showed damaged buildings and rescue workers pulling bodies from the rubble. Civil defence teams said some areas were difficult to reach because of the destruction.

The strikes came ahead of the planned reopening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Sunday. The crossing was closed for weeks and is a key route for aid and medical evacuations.

Egypt’s foreign ministry condemned the strikes and urged all sides to avoid further escalation. Qatar, which has helped mediate ceasefire talks, also criticised what it called repeated violations of the agreement.

Israel and Hamas have both accused each other of breaking the ceasefire since it took effect.

The war began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel. About 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage, according to Israeli officials.

Israel responded with a large military campaign in Gaza.

Since then, more than 71,600 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. The ministry says at least 509 people have been killed since the ceasefire began on 10 October 2025. Four Israeli soldiers have also been killed.

Israel has questioned the casualty figures in the past. However, the United Nations and several human rights groups consider the data broadly reliable.

Israel does not allow international media to enter Gaza freely, limiting independent reporting from the territory.

Despite ongoing mediation efforts, Saturday’s strikes showed how fragile the ceasefire remains, with civilians continuing to suffer the most.