At least 30 killed in Gaza as Israel strikes Rafah

If you’re trying to keep track of Gaza today, here’s the top line: hospital and civil defence officials say at least 30 people were killed in Israeli air strikes across the Strip on Saturday, including children. This is one of the deadliest days since October’s ceasefire began moving into its second phase, with Associated Press and the Washington Post reporting similar tolls. (apnews.com)

Where were the strikes? Local medics and reporters pointed to three main scenes: a tent sheltering displaced families in Khan Younis, a residential apartment in Gaza City, and a police station in the Sheikh Radwan area. Images from the aftermath show bodies carried from rubble and flats burnt out by fire. These details were carried by AP and the Washington Post from hospital and emergency officials inside Gaza. (apnews.com)

What does Israel say happened? The Israel Defense Forces say Friday’s incident in eastern Rafah triggered the response: according to the military, eight armed men emerged from an underground tunnel near Israeli positions; at least three were killed in subsequent strikes and searches continued. Israeli National News and JNS carried the IDF’s statement, while the Washington Post reported Israel’s framing that the air raids were retaliation for the tunnel incident. (israelnationalnews.com)

What did people in Gaza report? Reuters quoted Samer al‑Atbash saying, “We found my three little nieces in the street… What did those children do?” Hospital officials said a mother, three children and a relative were killed in Gaza City, while Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis reported seven dead after a fire at a tent camp. These accounts come via Reuters partners and AP’s on‑the‑ground hospital sources. (streetinsider.com)

You’ll also see statements from Hamas and from mediators. Hamas condemned the raids and called for international action. Egypt’s foreign ministry, a ceasefire guarantor alongside Qatar and the US, condemned the strikes and urged restraint, warning the violence threatens the fragile process now under way. Those positions were reported by Egypt Today and AP. (egypttoday.com)

Rafah matters for people’s lives. Israel says it will reopen the Rafah crossing with Egypt on Sunday for limited movement of people-subject to Israeli security screening, Egyptian coordination and EU monitoring-after the remains of the last captive held in Gaza were recovered earlier this week. The Washington Post and Al Jazeera reported the planned reopening and conditions announced by Israel’s COGAT. (washingtonpost.com)

Let’s place this inside the ceasefire timeline you’ve been hearing about. A US‑brokered ceasefire took effect in October 2025; Washington says its “second phase” is now progressing. Since the truce began, Gaza’s health ministry reports that more than 500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, and Israeli authorities say four soldiers have been killed. AP and Reuters wires carried those figures on Saturday. (apnews.com)

How should we read the wider death toll? The UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA) most recently relayed Gaza’s health ministry totals of more than 71,000 Palestinians killed since 7 October 2023. UN briefings note that while the UN cannot independently verify each case amid the conflict, the ministry’s aggregate figures have generally been used by UN agencies and humanitarian groups across previous wars. Israel disputes the counts. (un.org)

Why are sources so hard to verify? Independent foreign press access to Gaza remains heavily restricted. The Foreign Press Association has been pressing Israel’s Supreme Court to lift the ban; the court heard arguments this week but delayed a decision, and the Committee to Protect Journalists has again urged Israel to allow reporters to enter freely. That lack of access limits outside verification and means we rely on local medics, officials and embedded reporting. (aljazeera.com)

Quick glossary for your notes. A “truce” is a temporary pause in fighting, often local or informal; a “ceasefire” is a formal agreement to stop shooting, usually with written terms, monitors and timelines; “phase two” here refers to the next steps set out by mediators-limited movement through Rafah, more aid access, and negotiations on demilitarisation and governance. Chatham House’s read of UN Security Council Resolution 2803 explains how these elements fit together. (chathamhouse.org)

A short timeline helps. The war began after the Hamas‑led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. A US‑backed ceasefire took effect in October 2025 and the UN Security Council endorsed the framework on 17 November 2025. On Monday 26 January 2026, Israel said the last captive’s remains were recovered, clearing the way for Rafah’s limited reopening; five days later, Gaza saw its heaviest strikes in weeks. These milestones are drawn from UN meeting coverage and Washington Post reporting. (un.org)

If you teach or study this, here’s how we suggest you read updates. Track what each side claims and who says it; look for hospital and civil defence tallies and note when numbers are later revised; and remember that access constraints make independent checks rare. We’ll keep pulling from transparent sources-AP, the Washington Post, UN briefings, court filings and watchdog statements-so you can see where each fact sits. (apnews.com)