Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip kill 28 people

2026-01-31 17:42:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

At least 28 people were killed in a wave of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Sunday. The Hamas-run Civil Defense Agency said children and women were among the dead. The agency said helicopter gunships struck a tent housing displaced people in the southern city of Khan Younis in one attack.

Palestinians have described the attacks as the heaviest since the second phase of a ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump in October, which took effect earlier this month. The Israeli military confirmed that a number of attacks were carried out in response to what it called Hamas violations of the agreement on Friday. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the ceasefire since it came into effect last year.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said eight terrorists were identified emerging from underground terrorist infrastructure in eastern Rafah, an area in Gaza where Israeli forces are deployed under the October agreement.

The IDF said that, together with the Israel Security Agency (ISA), it had struck targets at various locations, including four commanders and other terrorists, as well as a weapons depot, a weapons production site and two launch sites belonging to Hamas in the central Gaza Strip.

Hamas has condemned the attacks and called on the US to take immediate action, adding that these ongoing violations confirm that the Israeli government continues its brutal genocidal war against the Gaza Strip.

The war between Israel and Hamas began after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 71,660 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. At least 509 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began on October 10, 2025. Four Israeli soldiers have also been killed.

Although Israel has previously disputed figures from the Hamas-run health ministry, a senior security source was reported by local media to have said that the military admits that more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war in Gaza. /CNA