In brief
On Oct. 28, 2026, Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed four Palestinians, according to local and medical sources. The strikes targeted a Hamas‑run checkpoint in Rafah’s Mawasi area and a crowd in Khan Younis’s Al‑Bayouk neighborhood, leaving several others wounded. Gaza health authorities report the cumulative death toll since the October 2025 ceasefire is 1,568 and since Oct. 7, 2023, it is 74,564.
Four Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, according to Palestinian medical and local sources in Rafah and Khan Younis.
An Israeli drone fired a missile at a checkpoint operated by the Hamas‑run Crossings and Borders Authority in the Mawasi area of Rafah, located in southern Gaza.
Medical sources told Xinhua that at least three people were killed and several others wounded, some seriously, in the strike.
The victims worked for the agriculture, economy and general petroleum and gas authorities in Gaza, according to local reports.
Separately, a Palestinian was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a group of people in the Al‑Bayouk neighborhood in central Khan Younis, also in southern Gaza, medical sources said.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military regarding the strikes.
In its daily report, Gaza’s health authorities said the Palestinian death toll since the ceasefire took effect in October 2025 had risen to 1,568, with 5,649 others wounded.
The cumulative death toll since the outbreak of the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict on Oct. 7, 2023, had reached 74,564, while the number of wounded stood at 175,770, according to the authorities.
Local observers described the Rafah checkpoint as a spot where goods and travelers were screened by Hamas authorities before crossing into Israel and back.
The missile strike hit the checkpoint’s main gate, causing the immediate deaths of three workers who were on duty.
Witnesses said the blast was heard as a loud explosion and the area was quickly surrounded by emergency responders.
The Al‑Bayouk neighborhood was reported to have been hosting a small gathering of residents when the Israeli airstrike struck, killing one person.
Medical teams from Gaza’s Red Crescent rushed to the scene and treated several injured civilians, with some requiring hospitalization for severe injuries.
Gaza’s health ministry named the injured as “civilian casualties” and noted that the airstrikes had been part of a broader Israeli campaign aimed at targets in the southern region.
Local authorities have warned residents to stay inside their homes and to avoid open areas during ongoing military activities.
International organizations have called for a halt to the airstrikes and urged both sides to seek a peaceful resolution.
Human rights groups have criticized the lack of clear evidence that the targets were military in nature, citing the civilian presence in the areas hit.
The Israeli Defense Forces are rumored to have justified the strikes by citing intelligence about potential militant activity near checkpoints.
No direct statements have been released from the Israeli side to confirm these justifications, leaving uncertainty about the intended targets.
The Gaza Strip, home to more than two million Palestinians, has seen repeated escalations since the last ceasefire in 2025.
Local hospitals in Rafah and Khan Younis are reportedly operating at full capacity with the influx of wounded patients.
The latest reports underscore the continued volatility in the region and the ongoing toll on civilian lives amid repeated aerial attacks.
