Israeli airstrikes in Gaza kill at least 12, including children, health ministry says

At least 12 people, including children, were killed and others injured after Israeli airstrikes struck locations across Gaza, Palestinian health officials reported on Jan. 31, 2026. The latest strikes occurred amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the territory and add to the mounting humanitarian toll in a densely populated enclave already strained by two years of intense conflict.

Health ministry figures identified multiple fatalities and said emergency services were treating wounded civilians. Hospitals in Gaza, which operate under chronic resource constraints, are confronting shortages of medicines, fuel and surgical supplies as patient numbers rise. The ministry’s tally underscored the vulnerability of civilian infrastructure when urban areas are the primary theater of military activity.

The strikes are part of sustained Israeli campaigns that have continued despite repeated international calls for de-escalation. Military officials cited the need to target militant infrastructure and leadership, while Palestinian authorities described the pattern of strikes as disproportionate and damaging to noncombatant lives and services. Reported damage to residential buildings and public facilities has compounded the immediate humanitarian crisis and complicated relief logistics.

Beyond the immediate human cost, the renewed air campaign carries broader economic and policy implications for the region. Gaza’s civilian economy, already contracted by years of blockade, conflict and limited external investment, faces further setbacks as physical damage erodes economic assets and private-sector capacity. Disruption to markets and transport within Gaza is likely to deepen unemployment and reduce household incomes, prolonging dependency on international aid.

Regional financial markets typically react to escalations in the Israel-Gaza conflict with bouts of volatility. Heightened tensions can push energy prices modestly higher through risk premia in oil and gas markets and can weigh on investor sentiment in neighboring stock markets. For Israel, prolonged military operations imply continued elevated defense spending, which can compress fiscal space and crowd out public investment in civilian priorities if sustained. The longer-term fiscal burden could influence budget priorities and shape monetary and fiscal policy decisions in the year ahead.

Humanitarian agencies have warned that restricted access and damage to infrastructure will complicate aid delivery. The logistical challenge of moving food, medical supplies and fuel into Gaza — already constrained by border controls and security conditions — will determine the immediate health outcomes for the injured and for families facing food insecurity. Donor coordination and the ability of international organizations to operate at scale will be critical to averting a deeper crisis.

Politically, the strikes and resulting civilian casualties are likely to harden positions on both sides and complicate diplomatic efforts to negotiate a ceasefire or broader settlement. Recurrent cycles of violence also entrench long-term economic scarring: destroyed housing stock, damaged utilities and disrupted education create sustained costs that slow recovery even after hostilities ease.

As hospitals care for the newly wounded and families mourn the dead, the combination of civilian suffering and broader economic ripple effects reinforces a critical policy challenge: how to secure both immediate humanitarian access and a durable political framework that prevents recurrent rounds of destruction and allows for reconstruction and economic normalization.