Gaza Hospital Officials Report At Least 30 Palestinians Killed in Israeli Strikes
Hospital authorities in Gaza have confirmed that Israeli military strikes on Saturday resulted in the deaths of at least thirty Palestinians. This tragic incident represents one of the most lethal days in the region since a ceasefire agreement was established in October last year. The casualties included two women and six children from two separate families, according to officials at the Gaza hospitals that received the bodies.
Details of the Separate Strike Incidents
Early morning strikes targeted multiple locations across Gaza. Shifa Hospital reported that an airstrike in Gaza City killed a mother, three children, and one of their relatives. Simultaneously, Nasser Hospital stated that a strike on a tent camp in Khan Younis ignited a fire, resulting in seven fatalities, including a father, his three children, and three grandchildren.
Later in the day, Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiya confirmed that another airstrike hit a police station in Gaza City, killing at least fourteen more individuals and wounding others. Palestinian search teams worked tirelessly to recover bodies and survivors from the rubble of the destroyed police station.
Israeli Defence Forces Statement and Justification
In an official statement released on Saturday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) declared that they had struck four commanders and additional terrorists from the Hamas and Islamic Jihad organisations across the Gaza Strip. The military operation also targeted a weapons storage facility, a weapons manufacturing site, and two launch sites belonging to Hamas in the central Gaza region.
The IDF asserted that these attacks were a direct response to Hamas violating the ceasefire agreement on Friday. According to Israeli intelligence, eight terrorists exited the underground terror infrastructure in eastern Rafah, prompting the military action. The IDF reiterated longstanding claims that Hamas uses civilians as human shields, vowing to continue operations against any terrorist attempts to attack IDF troops and Israeli civilians.
Ceasefire Violations and Escalating Tensions
Both Israel and Hamas have consistently accused each other of breaching the ceasefire terms since the agreement was reached after two years of conflict. According to Gaza's health ministry, which operates under the Hamas-led government, Israeli attacks have caused more than five hundred Palestinian fatalities since the ceasefire began on 10 October last year.
Timing Before Rafah Crossing Reopening
These latest strikes occurred just one day before the scheduled reopening of the Rafah crossing bordering Egypt. This crossing serves as the primary entry and exit point for nearly all of Gaza's two million residents. All of Gaza's borders have remained closed since the war began, though Rafah was briefly opened early in 2025 for the evacuation of sick and wounded Palestinians as part of the previous ceasefire arrangement.
Palestinians view the Rafah crossing as a vital lifeline for Gazans requiring medical treatment, since most healthcare infrastructure within the territory has been destroyed. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly twenty thousand people could need medical attention. Israel has maintained the closure of the Rafah crossing in both directions since the October ceasefire, demanding that Hamas comply with the agreement to return all remaining hostages, both living and deceased.
Political Context and Reopening Plans
Israeli officials have indicated that the limited reopening of the crossing on Sunday aligns with US president Donald Trump's twenty-point peace plan. Sky News understands that Israel will not impose restrictions on the number of people permitted to leave Gaza via the crossing but will limit the number allowed to return from Egypt to Gaza to one hundred fifty individuals per day. Palestinian officials estimate that approximately one hundred thousand people have fled Gaza since the war began.
The remains of the last Israeli hostage in Gaza, twenty-four-year-old Ran Gvili, were recovered approximately one week ago. He was killed at the Alumim kibbutz during the October 7 attacks in 2023 before his body was taken to Gaza.
