Israel has carried out air strikes on southern Gaza after accusing Hamas of attacking its troops in what the military described as a “blatant violation” of the fragile ceasefire, marking the first major test of the US-brokered truce just nine days after it began.
The Israel Defence Forces said Hamas fighters attacked Israeli forces in Rafah with rocket-propelled grenades and sniper fire on Sunday morning, prompting retaliatory strikes in the area.
However, Hamas denied any knowledge of clashes in Rafah and insisted it remained committed to the ceasefire agreement, whilst accusing Israel of fabricating pretexts to evade its responsibilities under the deal brokered by President Donald Trump.
Israeli Military Reports Multiple Attacks on Forces
An Israeli military official told media outlets that Hamas carried out “multiple attacks” against Israeli forces beyond the Yellow Line, the initial withdrawal boundary outlined in the ceasefire agreement.
“The terror organisation Hamas carried out multiple attacks against Israeli forces beyond the yellow line,” the official said. “The attacks included an RPG shot at a military force, and a sniper fire against a military force. Both of the incidents happened in an Israeli controlled area, east to the yellow line. This is a bold violation of the ceasefire.”
The IDF said in a statement that terrorists fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire toward Israeli troops operating to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the Rafah area “in accordance with the ceasefire agreement”.
“In response, the IDF has begun striking in the area to eliminate the threat and dismantle tunnel shafts and military structures used for terrorist activity,” the military said.
Israeli forces suffered casualties as a result of the attacks, according to a source familiar with the incident.
Hamas Denies Responsibility, Reaffirms Commitment to Truce
Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, issued a statement denying knowledge of “any events or clashes” in Rafah and said they remained committed to the truce “throughout all areas of the Gaza Strip”.
The group claimed the area where the alleged attacks occurred was under Israeli control and that contact with groups there had been cut off since the collapse of a previous ceasefire in March.
Izzat Al-Rishq, a senior member of Hamas’ political wing, accused Israel of working to “fabricate flimsy pretexts” to evade its responsibilities under the ceasefire agreement.
We affirm our commitment to the ceasefire agreement,” Al-Rishq said, accusing Israel of violating the agreement itself.
The conflicting accounts highlight the fragility of the ceasefire and the deep mistrust between the two sides, raising fears the truce could collapse entirely.
Netanyahu Orders “Forceful” Response
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security consultation with Defence Minister Israel Katz and military chiefs on Sunday, instructing them to “act forcefully” against “terrorist targets” in Gaza.
“Following Hamas’s violation of the ceasefire, Prime Minister Netanyahu held a consultation with the Minister of Defense and the heads of the security establishment and instructed them to act forcefully against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office read.
Defence Minister Katz warned that “Hamas will pay a heavy price for every shooting and violation of the ceasefire, and if the message is not understood, the intensity of our responses will continue to increase”.
According to a military source, more than 20 targets have been struck since the alleged attack in Rafah on Sunday morning.
Far-Right Ministers Call for Return to Full War
Netanyahu faces pressure to respond forcefully from far-right parties supporting his coalition government.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called on the prime minister to resume the war in Gaza “in full force” following the alleged ceasefire violation.
The political pressure from hard-line coalition partners complicates Netanyahu’s position as he attempts to maintain the ceasefire whilst responding to attacks on Israeli forces.
Palestinian Casualties Reported
Palestinian media reported that at least two people were killed and an unspecified number injured in Israeli air strikes east of Jabalia in northern Gaza on Sunday.
The Wafa news agency said Israeli aircraft carried out at least three air strikes in the Rafah area of southern Gaza, with other outlets reporting additional strikes in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
Witnesses told international media that fighting erupted in parts of southern Rafah still under Israeli control, followed by the air strikes.
US Issues Warning About Hamas Violations
The United States State Department issued a statement on Saturday claiming it had “credible reports indicating an imminent ceasefire violation by Hamas against the people of Gaza”.
Washington claimed Hamas was planning an attack against Palestinian civilians, warning that “should Hamas proceed with this attack, measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire.
Hamas dismissed the US claims as baseless and said they “fully align with misleading Israeli propaganda”.
The group accused Israel of “forming, arming and funding criminal gangs responsible for killings, kidnappings, the theft of aid trucks, and looting against Palestinian civilians” in Gaza.
Context of Trump-Brokered Ceasefire Deal
The ceasefire came into effect on 10 October following intensive negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt, the United States and Turkey based on a 20-point plan proposed by President Trump.
On 13 October, Hamas released the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages who had been held captive for over two years since the 7 October 2023 attack. In exchange, Israel freed approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including 250 serving life sentences and over 1,700 detained in Gaza since October 2023.
The deal requires Israeli forces to withdraw from certain areas of Gaza, though Israel retains control of more than half the territory. The agreement allows Israeli troops to remain in specific areas, including parts of Rafah, where they are permitted to dismantle terrorist infrastructure.
Hostage Dispute Complicates Ceasefire
Tensions over the ceasefire have been mounting due to Hamas’ delayed return of deceased hostages’ remains.
Under the agreement, Hamas was supposed to have returned the bodies of all 28 deceased hostages by midday on Monday, 13 October. However, only 11 identified remains have been handed over so far.
Netanyahu announced on Saturday that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt would remain closed “until further notice,” making reopening dependent on Hamas fulfilling its commitment to return all deceased hostages’ remains.
Hamas has said returning the remaining bodies “may take some time” due to the destruction across Gaza, with some remains buried under destroyed buildings whose locations are not all known.
Original October 2023 Attack and Subsequent War
The current ceasefire follows more than two years of devastating conflict that began with Hamas’ surprise attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
Hamas-led gunmen killed approximately 1,200 people in southern Israel during the assault and took 251 others hostage into Gaza.
Israel’s military campaign in response has killed more than 68,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and left the territory almost entirely destroyed.
The world’s leading authority on hunger has declared famine conditions in some areas of Gaza, where humanitarian aid has been severely restricted throughout the conflict.
Fragile Peace Hangs in Balance
The Sunday violence represents the most serious threat to the ceasefire since it began, with both sides trading accusations of violations and neither side showing willingness to back down.
Major questions about the ceasefire’s later phases remain unresolved, including Gaza’s postwar governance, Israel’s demand that Hamas disarm, and Palestinian demands for statehood.
While the US maintains that Hamas has not yet violated its commitments to the ceasefire deal, the conflicting narratives from Israel and Hamas about Sunday’s events threaten to unravel the fragile truce.
President Trump, who received widespread praise for brokering the ceasefire, now faces the challenge of keeping both sides committed to the agreement amid the first serious test of the deal’s durability.
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