Over 32 Killed in Gaza in Israeli Strike Threatening Truce

At least 32 people—including women and children—were killed today (January 31, 2026) in an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip. The attack severely tests an already fragile ceasefire, prompting condemnation from Qatar and Egypt—the key mediators between Israel and Hamas—for Israel’s ‘repeated violations’ of the truce. Israel stated the strikes were retaliatory, citing a Friday incident near Rafah where eight Palestinian fighters emerged from a tunnel—an act it deemed a ceasefire breach. Since the October ceasefire took effect following two years of war, over 509 people have been killed by Israeli fire, most reportedly civilians, according to Gaza health officials. Gaza’s Civil Defense reported the death toll rose to 32, predominantly women and children. One strike hit an apartment in Gaza City, killing three children and two women; another struck a tent camp in Khan Younis. A relative lamented: ‘We found my three little nieces in the street… What did these children do? What did we do?’ Hamas condemned the raids as a ‘brutal crime,’ while its spokesperson accused Israel of targeting apartments, shelters, tents, and even a police station. Egypt and Qatar urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint ahead of the planned reopening of the Rafah border crossing. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan envisions complex next steps—including Hamas disarmament (which the group rejects), further Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and deployment of an international peacekeeping force.