The Israeli military launched a series of air strikes and artillery attacks on targets in southern Gaza on Sunday, threatening to unravel the fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States just over a week ago. The escalation marks one of the most serious tests of the truce, which came into effect on October 11 after months of intense fighting.
According to Palestinian officials and witnesses, Israeli strikes hit multiple locations across the coastal enclave, including the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis. Medics at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah reported that at least five people were killed in the central Gaza Strip, while the health ministry said a total of eight Palestinians had died in the last 24 hours.
Residents in Rafah described hearing explosions and gunfire throughout the day. In the nearby town of Abassan, witnesses reported tank shelling, while Israeli airstrikes were said to have struck residential areas in Zawayda and Deir Al-Balah.
The Israeli military confirmed the attacks, saying they were a direct response to “multiple violations” by Hamas, including a rocket-propelled grenade attack and a sniper assault against Israeli soldiers.
“Both of the incidents happened in an Israeli-controlled area,” an Israeli military official said. “This is a bold violation of the ceasefire, and Israel will respond forcefully to protect its forces.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed that sentiment, warning that Israel would not tolerate attacks on its troops. Defense Minister Israel Katz added that Israeli forces had established a “yellow line” marking the ceasefire boundaries and that any attempt to cross it would be met with immediate fire.
In response, Hamas denied involvement in the latest clashes. The group’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, released a statement reaffirming its commitment to the ceasefire agreement.
“We affirm our full commitment to implementing all agreements, foremost among them the ceasefire across all areas of the Gaza Strip,” the statement said, adding that Hamas had not been in contact with armed groups operating in Rafah since March.
Senior Hamas official Izzat Al Risheq accused Israel of attempting to derail the truce through repeated violations, saying that Hamas remained committed to “a comprehensive and lasting peace based on mutual respect and adherence to the agreed terms.”
The Gaza Government Media Office claimed that Israel had already committed at least 47 violations of the ceasefire deal since it was signed, resulting in 38 deaths and 143 injuries. The office alleged that Israeli forces had targeted civilians, shelled residential areas, and detained several people during raids.
“These violations have ranged from direct shooting at civilians to deliberate shelling and targeting operations,” the media office said in a statement on Saturday.
The U.S.-mediated ceasefire was intended to halt months of bloodshed and open the door to humanitarian relief and reconstruction in Gaza, where much of the infrastructure has been reduced to rubble. However, with both sides trading accusations of violations, the agreement’s durability is increasingly in doubt.
Diplomatic observers warn that continued hostilities could derail fragile peace efforts and trigger a new cycle of violence in the region.