Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Feb 4 – Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip killed nearly 20 Palestinians in the early hours of Wednesday, according to medical officials in the territory, adding to a growing death toll that has continued despite an internationally brokered ceasefire meant to calm the conflict. Hospital authorities said most of those killed were women and children, underscoring the human cost of violence that many residents say has not truly stopped.
Doctors and emergency workers reported that at least 19 people were killed in a series of strikes that began before sunrise. Among the dead were five children, including an infant just days old and another only a few months into life, as well as seven women. A paramedic who was responding to emergencies was also killed while on duty, according to staff at a field hospital operating in southern Gaza. Health officials later said the total number of Palestinians killed throughout the day had risen further.
These deaths come weeks after a ceasefire went into effect on Oct. 10, 2025, following intense diplomatic efforts led by the United States and regional mediators. While the agreement was intended to halt major hostilities, it has been repeatedly strained by Israeli strikes and militant activity. Gaza’s health ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run local administration, says hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since the truce began, a figure that includes women, children, and other civilians.
Israeli military officials, for their part, say the strikes are a response to attacks by Hamas militants and other armed groups. In a statement released Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said its troops had come under fire in northern Gaza, describing the incident as a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement. According to the military, armored units and aircraft were deployed after soldiers were targeted, resulting in injuries to at least one reservist who was evacuated for medical treatment.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City, where Israeli fire struck a residential building. Hospital staff at Shifa Hospital said at least 11 people were killed there, most of them members of the same extended family. The victims included parents, their newborn daughter who was just 10 days old, a five month old cousin, and their grandmother. Medical workers described the scene as devastating, with small bodies wrapped in blankets arriving alongside grieving relatives.
An Israeli military spokesperson said the strike followed gunfire directed at troops operating nearby. The military repeated its position that it targets militants and infrastructure used by armed groups, not civilians. Still, the scale of civilian casualties has fueled anger and despair among Palestinians, many of whom say the ceasefire feels meaningless in daily life.
“The war never really stopped for us,” said Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiya, director of Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, in a public statement posted on social media. He questioned the effectiveness of the truce and the role of international mediators, saying ordinary people continue to pay the price while political agreements fail to protect them. His comments reflect a broader sentiment among Gaza residents who report ongoing fear, displacement, and loss.
After the Tuffah strike, additional attacks were reported in other parts of the territory. In the southern city of Khan Younis, an Israeli strike hit a family tent, killing three people including a 12 year old boy, according to staff at Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. Elsewhere in Gaza City, tank shelling in the eastern Zaytoun neighborhood killed three more people, including a married couple, hospital officials said.
Another strike hit a tent in the Muwasi area, a coastal zone where many displaced families have sought refuge. A field hospital run by the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that at least two people were killed and several others wounded. Among the dead was Hussein Hassan Hussein al-Semieri, identified by colleagues as a paramedic who had been responding to emergencies at the time of the attack. Red Crescent officials described his death as a heavy blow to already strained medical services.
The Israeli military has said that since the ceasefire took hold, four Israeli soldiers have been killed in various incidents. Officials argue that continued strikes are necessary to deter further attacks and enforce the terms of the agreement. An Israeli military official, speaking anonymously in line with policy, said operations in Gaza would continue as long as militants violate the ceasefire.
International mediators involved in brokering the truce have expressed concern over the ongoing violence. Some have publicly condemned attacks that lead to civilian deaths, while Hamas has accused Israel of repeatedly violating the deal. The back and forth accusations have raised fears that the fragile ceasefire could collapse entirely.
Since the start of the war, Gaza’s health ministry says more than 71,800 Palestinians have been killed. The ministry does not differentiate between fighters and civilians in its public figures, but it maintains detailed casualty records that are widely used by humanitarian organizations and United Nations agencies. Independent experts have said the actual number of deaths is likely higher, as many bodies remain trapped under rubble from earlier bombardments.
Israel disputes the ministry’s overall figures and has not released comprehensive data on civilian casualties in Gaza. The war began after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. That attack prompted Israel’s large scale military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which has since devastated much of the territory’s infrastructure and displaced the majority of its population.