Israel kills 4 suspected militants in Gaza’s Rafah despite ceasefire

Despite an ongoing ceasefire, the Israeli military killed four suspected militants in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Monday. According to the military, the armed men emerged from a tunnel and attacked Israeli troops, who then eliminated them. Israel described the incident as a "blatant violation" of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. The military stated that its troops are continuing operations in the area to locate and eliminate other militants within the tunnel system. Violence has persisted in the Gaza Strip despite the truce, with both Israel and Hamas accusing each other of violations.

Since October 2023, Israel's control over Gaza's borders has intensified, restricting Palestinian movement and access to essential resources. The closures, initially presented as temporary security measures, have become a daily reality, impacting access to medical treatment, education, and family reunification. The Rafah crossing with Egypt, once considered an alternative route, has also fallen under Israeli control since May 7, 2024, further limiting aid and evacuations. This control is exerted through permits, road closures, and restrictions on who and what can enter or exit Gaza. These measures have transformed freedom of movement into a tool of control, with significant consequences for the Palestinian population.

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened on Thursday, February 5, 2026, after a two-day closure. The reopening allowed for limited travel in both directions. A group of Palestinian medical evacuees departed from Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, February 1, aiming to receive medical treatment in Egypt. Palestinians have reported delays and mistreatment at the crossing. The Rafah crossing is a vital point of exit and entry for Palestinians in Gaza, particularly for medical patients seeking treatment abroad.

Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed at least 17 Palestinians, including children, according to hospital officials. The strikes occurred in northern and southern Gaza, specifically in Gaza City and Khan Younis. The Israeli military stated the strikes were a response to gunfire from "terrorists" that seriously wounded an Israeli soldier during an operation near the Yellow Line, a territory demarcation under the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Israel characterized the gunfire as a violation of the truce, which began on October 10th. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of frequent violations of the ceasefire. The conflict stems from the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza.

Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed 18 people, including four children, following a shooting at Israeli soldiers that injured a reservist. The strikes targeted Gaza City and Khan Younis. Palestinian officials report that Israel has halted the evacuation of patients through the Rafah border crossing to Egypt, just two days after it reopened for limited crossings. Cogat, the Israeli military agency, claims the crossing remains open but lacks coordination details from the World Health Organization. This disruption occurs amidst a fragile ceasefire established under a US-backed plan, which has been marked by near-daily violence. Since the ceasefire began, Israeli fire has killed at least 530 people, while Palestinian militants have killed four Israeli soldiers.

Since the US-brokered ceasefire in October, violence has continued in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 556 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers. Recent Israeli strikes have killed dozens of Palestinians, raising questions about the ceasefire's effectiveness. Other aspects of the agreement, such as the deployment of an international security force, Hamas' disarmament, and reconstruction efforts, have stalled. While the opening of the Rafah border crossing offered some hope, only a limited number of people have been allowed to cross. The ongoing violence and stalled progress have led to widespread frustration and questions about the future of the ceasefire.

According to a news report published on February 1, 2026, Israel has killed over 500 Palestinians in Gaza since agreeing to a US-brokered ceasefire. The report states that the ceasefire, agreed upon to end what it describes as a genocidal war, has not stopped the violence. The article focuses on sharing the stories of some of the Palestinians who have been killed during this period. The report suggests that the agreed-upon truce has been ineffective in halting the ongoing conflict and loss of life in Gaza. The specific reasons for the continued violence are not detailed in this summary.

After the Rafah border crossing reopened, Palestinian women returning to Gaza reported being bound and interrogated by Israeli troops. The crossing's reopening allowed some Palestinians to return from Egypt. One woman described the journey back to Gaza as "exhausting" and lengthy. Rotana al-Regeb reunited with her children in Khan Younis after being allowed back into Gaza. Twelve Palestinian returnees, including Rotana al-Regeb and her mother, arrived at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis after crossing the border. The Rafah crossing had been long-awaited to reopen.

Israel has agreed to a limited reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, which it seized in May 2024, citing the need to prevent weapons smuggling. The reopening will allow a small number of Palestinians to cross on foot in each direction, subject to Israeli-Egyptian security screening. Before the conflict, Rafah was Gaza's only border crossing not controlled by Israel. The move aims to ease access to medical care and allow limited travel, but only 50 people will be permitted to cross each way initially. Thousands of Palestinians are seeking medical evacuation, including many cancer patients and children, as Gaza's healthcare system has been severely damaged by Israeli airstrikes. Thousands of civilians have registered with the World Health Organization for medical evacuation.

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened on Monday, February 2, 2026, after being closed for nearly a year. This reopening marks progress in the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas following the Gaza war. The crossing, located in southern Gaza, will allow some Gazan refugees to return and expedite medical treatment abroad for the sick and wounded. The reopening was delayed due to disagreements between Israel and Egypt and Israel's demand for the return of hostages taken in the October 7, 2023 attack. The crossing's reopening follows the retrieval of the remains of the last hostage. Despite the reopening, the cease-fire remains fragile, as evidenced by recent Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.

Palestinians have reunited with loved ones in Gaza after Israel allowed a partial reopening of the Rafah border crossing. A bus carrying 12 Palestinians completed the crossing after a 20-hour journey and obstruction by Israeli authorities. The limited reopening occurred on February 3, 2026. The bus traveled from Egypt to Gaza through the reopened crossing. The reunion was facilitated by the Israeli government's decision to permit the partial opening of the border. The event marked a rare instance of increased movement between Gaza and Egypt.

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt has partially reopened, allowing a limited number of people to cross. The reopening, which was delayed, is considered a symbolic step in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. On Monday, medical evacuees from Gaza were permitted to enter Egypt, and a dozen Palestinian returnees were allowed into Gaza. However, travel in both directions is restricted, and no goods are being transported through the crossing. Uncertainty remains regarding the full reopening and the extent to which it will alleviate the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Despite an ongoing ceasefire, Israeli strikes in Gaza on Friday, January 30, 2026, resulted in at least five deaths and eleven injuries. Two Palestinians were killed in a drone strike at the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, while Israeli forces reported killing three "terrorists" in Rafah, claiming they emerged from an underground location. The strikes occurred as Israel continued targeted operations in the besieged territory. In Rafah, Israeli naval gunboats also fired on Palestinian fishermen. Palestinian authorities are demanding the reopening of the Rafah crossing, a vital entry point for humanitarian aid, as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement.

On Saturday, January 31, 2026, Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 26 people, according to a Gaza health official. The Israeli military stated the strikes targeted Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad commanders in response to a cease-fire violation on Friday, where militants emerged from a tunnel in Rafah. Hamas condemned the strikes as a violation of the cease-fire agreement. Despite the violence, a crucial land crossing between Gaza and Egypt near Rafah is expected to reopen, allowing Palestinians who fled the two-year war to return home. This reopening is part of the cease-fire agreement established in October, which included hostage releases and Israeli military withdrawal to a designated line within Gaza.

Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday killed at least 27 Palestinians, including women and children, according to local authorities. The strikes, which hit areas including Khan Younis and Gaza City, targeted residential buildings, shelters, and what the IDF described as Hamas infrastructure. The Israeli military stated the strikes were in response to Hamas violating the ceasefire agreement brokered in October, claiming eight terrorists were identified exiting an underground infrastructure in Rafah. Hamas condemned the strikes, calling them a violation of the truce and urging the US to take action. Both sides have accused each other of violating the agreement since it came into effect last year following the initial Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Israeli strikes in Gaza on Saturday killed at least 20 Palestinians, according to hospital officials. The strikes, which occurred in multiple locations including Gaza City and Khan Younis, resulted in casualties including women and children. Gaza's Health Ministry reported that 509 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the October 10 ceasefire. The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains casualty records considered generally reliable. The strikes occurred a day before the Rafah crossing with Egypt was scheduled to open in Rafah.

In January 2026, Israeli forces retrieved the body of Ran Gvili, who died on October 7, 2023, from a Palestinian graveyard in northern Gaza. The operation, hailed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, resulted in the death of four Palestinians and the desecration of hundreds of graves. Palestinians are now left to recover and rebury the remains of their loved ones. The article states that the desecration of graves violates the Geneva Convention and constitutes collective punishment against Palestinians. It also notes that this is not the first instance of Israel attacking and desecrating Palestinian cemeteries, with at least 16 cemeteries reportedly desecrated since the start of the war, allegedly under the justification that Hamas was using them for military purposes.

After repeatedly denying or downplaying the death toll in Gaza since October 7, 2023, the Israeli army has reportedly accepted the Gaza Health Ministry's estimate of approximately 70,000 deaths. This acknowledgment, made by an Israeli army official to journalists, marks a shift from Israel's previous stance of disputing the figures. As of January 27, 2026, the Gaza Health Ministry estimates at least 71,662 people have been killed, including those who died after the declared ceasefire and from starvation. Thousands more remain missing, presumed buried under rubble. While the Israeli official did not acknowledge the high proportion of civilian deaths, the acceptance of the overall death toll represents a departure from Israel's earlier denials.

Raed Belal, a Palestinian man from Gaza, has been separated from his wife and five children for over two years, stuck in Egypt since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas. He resides in Saqqara village, Egypt, awaiting the reopening of the Rafah crossing so he can return to his family in Gaza City. His family currently lives in a tent in Gaza. The article includes images dated January 27, 2026, showing Belal in Egypt preparing to return and his family in Gaza communicating with him via video call. Belal is eager to reunite with his family after the prolonged separation caused by the conflict and border closure.

On January 27, 2026, Israel marked the return of Ran Gvili's remains, the final hostage from the Hamas attack over two years prior. This event prompted the removal of yellow ribbons and the shutdown of a symbolic clock in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, signifying the end of a painful chapter. The clock had been tracking the duration of the hostages' captivity since the initial attack. In related news, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans for a "limited" reopening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, allowing Palestinian travel in and out of Gaza after nearly two years of closure since Israel seized it in May 2024.

The United Nations reports that Palestinians in Gaza are in a "desperate" situation due to the prolonged closure of the Rafah crossing by Israel. This closure is exacerbating widespread suffering, particularly impacting children. The report was published on January 28, 2026. Despite an October ceasefire with Hamas, Israeli forces continue attacks, resulting in at least four Palestinian deaths in Gaza City's al-Sanafour area. The UN warns that the aid blocks are hitting children the hardest.