Hospitals in Gaza said that on Saturday, January 31, at least 12 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes—one of the highest daily tolls since October, when an agreement intended to halt the fighting was reached.
According to medical officials, missiles hit targets in both the northern and southern Gaza Strip, including a residential building in Gaza City and a tent in Khan Younis. Those killed included two women and six children from two families.
Israeli aircraft carried out additional strikes, and the military issued an evacuation warning for one of the buildings in Khan Younis ahead of an attack.
Palestinians inspect damage to a tent hit by an Israeli strike in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. January 31, 2025.
The strikes came a day before the expected opening of a border crossing in Gaza’s southernmost city, underscoring that the death toll continues to rise even as a ceasefire agreement makes gradual progress.
All border crossings of the enclave have remained closed since the start of the war. For Palestinians, the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt has become a vital corridor for tens of thousands of people in need of medical treatment outside the Strip, as much of Gaza’s medical infrastructure has been destroyed by Israeli bombardment.
According to Reuters, Israel is seeking to ensure that more Palestinians leave Gaza than return. The agency reports that Israel intends to allow no more than 150 Palestinians per day to reenter the Strip through Rafah.
Al-Shifa Hospital said that an Israeli strike on Gaza City on Saturday morning killed a mother, her three children, and one of their relatives. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis reported that a strike on a tent camp sparked a fire that killed seven people—a father, his three children, and three grandchildren.
Gaza’s Health Ministry has recorded more than 500 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire took effect on October 10.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to questions about the strikes.
Despite recurring Palestinian deaths resulting from Israeli actions—which the Palestinian side says violate the October agreement—the deal has moved into its second, pivotal phase. This stage concentrates the most complex issues—it envisages the disarmament of Hamas and the transfer of authority to the Board of Peace, an organization appointed by President Donald Trump and staffed by his loyalists.
A recent presentation in Davos, delivered by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is also involved in the Trump administration’s Gaza project, outlined plans for the “development of Gaza”—with skyscrapers and waterfront promenades overlooking the Mediterranean.
Much of the Gaza Strip has been reduced to rubble, and basic infrastructure remains inoperative after two years of Israeli bombardment. More than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed during this period. Last year, a UN investigative commission concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.