Peloni: Israel is placing greater military pressure on seeing Hamas removed from power in Gaza, even as sorties are flown over Lebanon and the return of war with Iran stands just over the horizon.
Jafaj | Feb 1, 2026
This update is provided for situational awareness and analytical purposes and reflects reporting available at the time of writing.
SUMMARY
Paragraph 1: Israeli military operations in Gaza intensified sharply on January 31, 2026 (Saturday), marking the deadliest day since the ceasefire came into force and representing a clear post-ceasefire inflection point. The scale and tempo of Israeli strikes suggest a deliberate escalation aimed at degrading Hamas’ remaining operational, governance, and enforcement capabilities across the Strip.
Paragraph 2: By February 1, 2026 (Sunday) overall kinetic activity had eased relative to the previous day. However, the security environment remains volatile. Israeli surveillance, enforcement actions, and localized incidents continue, while humanitarian and medical conditions have further deteriorated. Local health officials report that Gaza’s healthcare system is no longer capable of sustaining large-scale trauma care, making medical evacuation the primary life-saving mechanism.
Paragraph 3: The trajectory of humanitarian capacity—rather than daily strike intensity—is now emerging as the principal driver of near-term civilian risk.
SITUATION OVERVIEW
Paragraph 4: Saturday, January 31, marked the highest level of Israeli military activity in Gaza since the ceasefire, resulting in the largest single-day death toll during the truce period.
Paragraph 5: The scale, frequency, and geographic spread of Israeli airstrikes indicate a deliberate escalation rather than isolated tactical actions. Analysts assess the strikes as aligned with Israeli political and military objectives to dismantle Hamas’ residual command, security, and governance infrastructure inside Gaza.
Paragraph 6: The escalation followed a period of relative restraint after the ceasefire and appears intended to test Hamas’ capacity to absorb renewed pressure while signaling Israeli resolve to both domestic and international audiences.
Paragraph 7: By Sunday, Israeli kinetic activity declined from Saturday’s peak, but there is no indication of a broader shift in Israeli policy or posture. Surveillance and enforcement actions continue across multiple areas of the Strip.
CASUALTIES
Paragraph 8: Palestinian medical and civil defense sources report at least 31 fatalities since dawn on Saturday, including:
- 24 deaths in Gaza City
- 7 deaths in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip
Paragraph 9: Civil Defense officials state that the majority of those killed were women and children, though independent verification remains limited. Casualty figures may change as recovery operations continue.
Paragraph 10: Local sources report that an entire family was killed in Khan Younis. Details surrounding the incident remain limited at the time of writing.
INCIDENT BREAKDOWN
Paragraph 11: Sheikh Radwan Police Station – Gaza City
An Israeli airstrike struck the Sheikh Radwan police station in northwestern Gaza City, killing 15 people. Palestinian sources report that several of those killed were members of Hamas’ internal police force. Israeli authorities have not publicly commented on the specific target but have previously described Hamas police facilities as part of the organization’s governance and security apparatus.
Paragraph 12: Haider Roundabout Area – Gaza City
Five people were killed when Israeli aircraft struck a building believed by Israeli intelligence to be associated with a suspected Hamas leader. The strike appears to have been directed at an individual target, though confirmation of the individual’s presence at the time of the strike remains unclear.
Paragraph 13: Old Gaza Street Vicinity
One person was killed when Israeli forces struck a group of civilians in an area assessed by Israel to be linked to Hamas-related activity. No confirmed Hamas members were identified among the casualties. Available indications suggest suspected operatives may have departed the area prior to the strike.
Paragraph 14: Al-Nasr Neighborhood – Gaza City
Three people were killed in an Israeli strike on a residential structure. No militant affiliation among the victims has been confirmed at the time of reporting.
Paragraph 15: Khan Younis – Displaced Persons’ Tent
Seven members of the Abu Hdaid family were killed after an Israeli strike hit a tent sheltering displaced civilians. Palestinian officials report no confirmed militant presence at the site. Israeli authorities have not issued a public explanation regarding the strike.
Paragraph 16: Additional Activity
Israeli aircraft conducted an airstrike in the vicinity of Al-Jalaa Street in Gaza City, causing structural damage. Casualty figures remain unconfirmed.
Paragraph 17: Localized Explosion – Tuffah Neighborhood
Local reporting indicates an explosion involving a vehicle in eastern Gaza City. Preliminary assessments by local security sources suggest the vehicle may have been pre-rigged with explosives, potentially linked to Hamas-related activity. It remains unclear whether the detonation was accidental or the result of an Israeli drone strike.
SECURITY AND MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS (FEB. 1)
Paragraph 18: The Israeli military reported continued enforcement activity along designated control and separation zones. On Sunday, Israeli forces stated they opened fire on Palestinians who allegedly crossed the marked “yellow line” in southern Gaza, resulting in the death of one individual.
Paragraph 19: Israeli reconnaissance drones were observed flying at low altitude over the Nuseirat refugee camp, indicating continued intelligence-gathering activity rather than preparation for immediate large-scale offensive operations.
MEDICAL AND HUMANITARIAN CONDITIONS
Paragraph 20: The Director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, Gaza’s largest hospital, stated that many of the wounded require immediate surgical intervention. Medical teams are operating under extreme strain due to fuel shortages, limited supplies, and sustained casualty inflows.
Paragraph 21: Gaza Civil Defense and hospital officials report that the healthcare system has collapsed under cumulative strain, citing prolonged blockade conditions, sustained military activity, and severe depletion of medical resources.
Paragraph 22: According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, approximately 6,000 wounded individuals require urgent evacuation through the Rafah crossing for advanced treatment unavailable inside Gaza.
Paragraph 23: Medical authorities assess the current evacuation mechanism as structurally inadequate, warning that at present transfer rates it could take years to clear the existing caseload. Health officials estimate that at least 500 patient evacuations per day would be required to prevent further preventable loss of life.
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
Paragraph 24: Egyptian state-linked media report that medical evacuations of Palestinian patients to Egypt via the Rafah crossing are expected to resume beginning Monday, with patients transferred to Egyptian hospitals for treatment.
Paragraph 25: Local humanitarian actors characterize the announcement as a limited but important humanitarian opening, while stressing that it remains insufficient relative to the scale of medical need inside Gaza.
ASSESSMENT
Paragraph 26: The events of January 31 represent a clear inflection point in the post-ceasefire period. Israel appears to be shifting from containment toward renewed coercive pressure aimed at dismantling Hamas’ remaining control mechanisms.
Paragraph 27: While Israeli kinetic activity declined on February 1, continued surveillance and enforcement actions underscore Israel’s capacity to escalate operations rapidly should conditions change.
Paragraph 28: Near-term civilian risk is increasingly driven less by daily fluctuations in strike intensity and more by systemic humanitarian and medical failure. Absent a sustained and significantly expanded medical evacuation framework, preventable civilian deaths are likely to continue, even during periods of reduced military activity.
Paragraph 29: The trajectory of humanitarian capacity, rather than battlefield momentum, is therefore emerging as the critical variable shaping outcomes in the current phase of the conflict.
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