Israeli Strikes Kill 30, Including Children, Rafah Reopening Nears/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ At least 30 Palestinians, including children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes Saturday despite ongoing ceasefire efforts. Key targets included a tent camp, an apartment building, and a police station. The violence comes just before Gaza’s Rafah crossing is set to reopen under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan.
Gaza Ceasefire and Civilian Casualties: Quick Looks
- Israeli strikes killed 30 Palestinians, including women and children
- Attacks targeted a tent camp, apartment building, and police station
- Rafah crossing expected to reopen Sunday in limited capacity
- Death toll rises despite advancing U.S.-mediated ceasefire
- Shifa and Nasser hospitals report high civilian casualties
- Hamas denounces strikes as violations of ceasefire
- Israel cites response to Hamas tunnel attack in Rafah
- Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 520 deaths since Oct. 10
Deep Look: Israeli Airstrikes Kill Dozens in Gaza as Ceasefire Inches Forward
As ceasefire negotiations in Gaza push cautiously ahead, a deadly wave of Israeli airstrikes on Saturday killed at least 30 Palestinians—including multiple children—marking one of the deadliest single days since the truce began in October 2025.
The attacks occurred just hours before the scheduled partial reopening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, a key component of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire’s second phase aimed at facilitating medical evacuations and humanitarian aid.
Civilian Targets Hit Across Gaza
Strikes hit multiple densely populated areas across the Gaza Strip. According to officials at Shifa Hospital, a blast targeting a police station in Gaza City killed at least 14 people, including four female police officers, several civilians, and detainees held inside.
At Nasser Hospital, doctors said a tent camp in Khan Younis caught fire during a strike, killing seven people—a father, his three children, and three grandchildren.
Another airstrike targeted an apartment building in Gaza City, killing three children, their aunt, and their grandmother early Saturday morning.
A separate strike in the Jabaliya refugee camp reportedly killed one man, as confirmed by Shifa Hospital staff.
Rafah Crossing Set to Open
Despite the renewed violence, Sunday is expected to see the first reopening of the Rafah crossing since the war began. Gaza’s borders have remained nearly completely sealed throughout the conflict, leaving tens of thousands without access to advanced medical care.
The Rafah opening is seen as a key milestone in phase two of the ceasefire, which also includes efforts to demilitarize the Gaza Strip, dismantle Hamas’s authority, and install a new transitional government for reconstruction oversight.
However, the deadly strikes now cast a shadow over what was supposed to be a hopeful turning point for humanitarian efforts.
Hamas Condemns “Flagrant Violation”
The militant group Hamas condemned Saturday’s airstrikes, calling them “a renewed flagrant violation” of the ongoing ceasefire and urging international mediators—particularly the U.S.—to hold Israel accountable.
“All available indicators suggest that we are dealing with a ‘Board of War,’ not a ‘Board of Peace,’” wrote Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, on X (formerly Twitter). He questioned the legitimacy of the international oversight body proposed to govern Gaza if civilian deaths continue to rise.
Israel Defends Strikes as Retaliatory
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) defended the attacks, saying Saturday’s airstrikes were carried out in response to ceasefire violations a day earlier. Specifically, the military cited an incident in Rafah where Israeli troops reportedly killed four Hamas militants emerging from a tunnel within a controlled buffer zone.
Israel has maintained that its ongoing operations are reactionary and meant to neutralize continued militant threats despite the ceasefire’s framework.
Death Toll Continues to Climb
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government but whose casualty reporting is widely accepted by the United Nations and independent monitors, over 520 Palestinians have died as a result of Israeli fire since the ceasefire was implemented on October 10.
Saturday’s casualties far exceed the recent daily average and highlight the volatility and fragility of the ceasefire, even as diplomatic efforts move forward.
As civilians mourn yet another round of devastating loss, the international community faces a pressing question: can peace efforts hold when bombings persist and civilian casualties mount?
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