Gaza bombed and West Bank raided as Rafah crossing remains limited

On the morning of February 4th, Israeli Air Force fighter jets once again bombed the Gaza Strip, despite a ceasefire declared in October 2025. The strikes killed 18 Palestinians, including at least three minors, according to Middle East Eye.

Multiple airstrikes hit different areas of the Strip from north to south. At least 14 people were killed in Gaza City, while further south the Nasser Medical Complex said an Israeli strike hit tents housing displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis, killing three people. The Israeli military said the strikes were carried out in response to a Palestinian shooting at soldiers overnight that seriously wounded an officer. There were no immediate comments from Hamas or other armed groups.

The February 4th attack is the latest in a long series of violations of the ceasefire agreement. Just a few days earlier, on January 31st, another bombardment struck the Strip, killing at least 32 people. Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025, justifying the heavy airstrikes as responses to alleged attacks by Palestinian militias against Israeli forces present in Gaza. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, since the beginning of the ceasefire Israel has killed more than 500 people and wounded another 1,500.

As part of the second phase of the peace plan, the Rafah crossing with Egypt was reopened on February 2nd. The reopening was intended to facilitate humanitarian relief after two years of relentless war. However, developments on the ground have told a different story. In statements released on February 4th, the Palestinian Red Crescent denounced the cancellation of patient and wounded travel through the Rafah crossing. In fact, on February 2nd, 3rd, and 4th the movement of Palestinian civilians in and out of the crossing was significantly reduced compared to the agreed quota of 50 Palestinian patients exiting and 50 entering.

The Israeli army denied that the cancellation of crossings on February 4th was due to an arbitrary closure, blaming the delay in departures on the World Health Organization (WHO) for allegedly failing to submit the “required coordination details” for procedural reasons. As Rafah resumes operations under heavy restrictions, humanitarian groups continue to call for wider and faster access, warning that limited crossings will do little to ease the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Meanwhile, military operations continue across the occupied West Bank. On February 3rd, Israeli forces carried out an operation in the city of Jericho, during which 24-year-old Palestinian Saeed Nael Saeed al-Sheikh was killed “from a gunshot to the abdomen by the occupation forces,” according to Riyad Eid, director of Jericho Governmental Hospital. The Ministry of Health said that three other Palestinians were injured during the raid, with varying degrees of severity.

Middle East Eye, Maghrebi.org