The Pak Global Pakistan News | Gaza
GAZA — At least 30 Palestinians were killed on Saturday in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, according to local hospitals, marking one of the deadliest days since an October ceasefire intended to halt large-scale fighting.
Medical officials said the strikes hit multiple locations, including a residential apartment building in Gaza City and a tent camp sheltering displaced families in Khan Younis. Among the dead were two women and six children from two separate families.
Shifa Hospital director Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiya said an Israeli airstrike also targeted a police station in Gaza City, killing at least 14 people and wounding several others. The casualties included police officers — among them four women — as well as civilians and detainees being held at the facility.
The escalation came just one day after Israel accused Hamas of new ceasefire violations. The Israeli military said its attacks were in response to alleged breaches of the agreement, including an incident in Rafah a day earlier in which at least four people were killed near a tunnel in an Israeli-controlled area.
Saturday’s strikes occurred on the eve of the anticipated reopening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, Gaza’s southern gateway and a crucial lifeline for residents seeking medical treatment abroad. The crossing has been closed for most of the war, severely limiting humanitarian movement.
Palestinians view the partial reopening of Rafah as a critical step under the second phase of the US-brokered ceasefire, which aims to ease border restrictions, address Gaza’s security future, and lay groundwork for reconstruction after nearly two decades of Hamas governance.
However, the latest violence underscores the fragility of the ceasefire. Nasser Hospital reported that an airstrike on the Khan Younis tent camp sparked a fire, killing seven people, including a father, his three children, and three grandchildren.
Shifa Hospital said another strike on a Gaza City apartment building killed three children, their aunt, and grandmother, while a separate attack killed a man in eastern Jabaliya refugee camp.
Hamas condemned the strikes as a “renewed and flagrant violation” of the ceasefire and urged the United States and other mediators to pressure Israel to halt further attacks.
“All available indicators suggest that we are dealing with a ‘Board of War,’ not a ‘Board of Peace,’” said Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, questioning the credibility of the proposed international body meant to govern Gaza during reconstruction.
Israel’s military said it has continued to strike targets on both sides of the ceasefire’s dividing line, insisting its operations are defensive responses to violations by Hamas.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 520 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire began on October 10. While the ministry operates under the Hamas-led administration, its casualty data is widely regarded as credible by the United Nations and independent experts.
Saturday’s death toll was several times higher than the daily average recorded since the ceasefire took effect, raising fresh concerns about the agreement’s durability as diplomatic efforts continue.