Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza Kill at Least 32 Palestinians, Including Women and Children

At least 32 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, local rescue officials reported. According to the Hamas-run civil defense agency, the deceased include women and children.

The deadliest attack occurred in the southern city of Khan Younis, where helicopter fire reportedly struck a tent camp housing displaced families. Seven members of the same family were said to have been killed in this strike. Officials at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City confirmed that three children and two women died in another attack on a residential apartment building.

Palestinians claim these attacks are the most intense since the second phase of the ceasefire, mediated by US President Donald Trump in October, took effect. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), however, claimed it conducted retaliatory action against Hamas for violating the ceasefire. According to the IDF, eight terrorists attempting to emerge from underground structures in the eastern Rafah area were targeted. Furthermore, it stated that it attacked weapons depots, production centers, and rocket launch sites in Gaza.

Hamas condemned these attacks as a massacre and urged the United States to intervene immediately. “We found my three little nieces dead on the street. Everyone talks about a ceasefire—but what mistake did these children make?” asked Samer Al-Atbas, a relative of a victim in Khan Younis, questioning Reuters. Images and videos circulating on local media and social media showed destroyed buildings and bodies being pulled from the rubble. This incident has once again raised serious questions about the future of a ceasefire in Gaza, as both sides accuse each other of violating the agreement.