Israeli airstrikes on multiple locations in the Gaza Strip on 31 January killed at least 28 people, Palestinian civil defence authorities said, deepening an already acute humanitarian emergency in the densely populated coastal territory. Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) issued statements condemning the attacks and accusing Israel of deliberately undermining a ceasefire agreement.
Photographs from Gaza City showed residents sifting through rubble after the strikes, a visual reminder of the scale of destruction in an enclave where civilian infrastructure has been repeatedly damaged in cycles of fighting. Casualty figures from Gaza health and civil defence services are frequently the first available counts; they also feed into international concern about protection of civilians and access for humanitarian agencies.
The strikes come against a backdrop of intermittent truces and negotiations mediated by regional actors such as Egypt and Qatar, which have repeatedly sought to stabilise the situation and secure humanitarian corridors. Any resumption of sustained violence threatens to unpick fragile accords and complicate the work of mediators trying to prevent escalation and ensure aid reaches civilians.
The Israeli government’s account was not included in the initial Gaza statements; historically, Israel has framed such strikes as precision actions against militant targets that pose security threats. The competing narratives — one stressing counter‑terror operations, the other emphasising civilian harm and violation of ceasefires — are central to how events are reported and how international actors respond.
What happens next will matter beyond the immediate toll. Continued exchanges could prompt renewed displacement, further restrict humanitarian access, and increase pressure on external mediators and donor governments to intervene. Observers will be watching whether independent verification of civilian casualties can be obtained and how regional and international capitals react to either side’s claims.