Just a week after a delicate cease-fire brought a semblance of calm, Israel has unleashed its most intense attacks on Gaza, simultaneously announcing the suspension of humanitarian aid. This escalation comes amidst accusations that Hamas violated the truce by targeting Israeli forces.
Despite the renewed hostilities, both Israel and Hamas have publicly stated their intention to uphold the cease-fire, creating a tense paradox where commitments clash with concrete actions.
Humanitarian aid, a lifeline for many in Gaza, has been indefinitely paused, as confirmed by anonymous Israeli officials privy to the sensitive details.
The past three days have seen a series of violent flare-ups, leading both Israeli and Hamas leadership to point fingers, each accusing the other of breaking the terms of the truce.
On Sunday, the Israeli military reported that Palestinian militants attacked its forces stationed near the cease-fire lines in Gaza. Allegations include an anti-tank missile strike followed by gunfire in the Rafah area, a southern region of Gaza still under Israeli control as per the truce agreement. These actions prompted retaliatory airstrikes.
Labeling the incident a “blatant violation” of the truce, Israeli forces swiftly responded with strikes aimed at neutralizing the perceived threat, dismantling tunnels and other military infrastructure. By Sunday evening, these initial responses had intensified into widespread attacks across the Gaza Strip, targeting numerous Hamas positions.
Hamas’s military faction, however, issued a statement denying knowledge of any clashes in Rafah, claiming to have lost communication with their fighters in the region.
Separately, an Israeli military official, speaking anonymously under army regulations, confirmed that Israeli forces targeted armed militants crossing the cease-fire line in northern Gaza.
Gaza’s health ministry reported a grim toll of 14 Palestinian deaths between midnight and late Sunday afternoon, though it did not specify whether the deceased were combatants or civilians. The Israeli military has not yet released a statement regarding casualties.
While the military’s statement avoided naming Hamas directly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly attributed the recent violence to the group. He announced that he had directed his defense minister and security leadership to undertake strong actions against militant targets within Gaza.
Hamas further clarified that it has been out of contact with its Rafah-based fighters since a previous temporary cease-fire failed in March, therefore disclaiming any involvement in or knowledge of recent incidents in those specific areas.
Izzat al-Rishq, a Hamas official, issued a separate statement Sunday, accusing Israel of continuous truce violations and concocting “flimsy pretexts” to rationalize its actions.
Just two days prior, on Friday, the Israeli military opened fire on a vehicle in northern Gaza. A Gaza rescue service, operating under the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, reported that this incident resulted in at least nine deaths, including four children.
Regarding Friday’s events, the Israeli military stated that the vehicle had crossed a demarcation line, an area from which Israeli forces had retreated as part of the cease-fire terms. They added that their troops fired upon the “suspicious” vehicle only after it failed to heed warning shots.
Despite repeated warnings from the Israeli military for civilians to avoid new demarcation lines and Israeli-held areas, many Gazans often find themselves disoriented. Lack of internet access, confusing maps, and the sheer devastation of the enclave contribute to their uncertainty about entering restricted zones.
Following Sunday’s eruption of violence, hard-line members of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government quickly demanded a full-scale resumption of Israel’s offensive against Hamas, the group responsible for the devastating October 7, 2023, attack that initiated the war.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, the ultranationalist Minister of National Security, urged a return to “full strength” fighting. He asserted that any belief in Hamas upholding the cease-fire was “predictably proving dangerous to our security.”
From the outset, Mr. Ben-Gvir and other far-right ministers had opposed the cease-fire, advocating for continued military action until Hamas was entirely defeated.
Currently, Israel maintains control over approximately half of Gaza’s territory and alleges that Hamas operatives are utilizing an extensive network of tunnels beneath these Israeli-controlled zones.
Adding to the tensions, Israeli officials have voiced their exasperation concerning the slow rate at which Hamas is returning the remains of deceased captives, a crucial component of the cease-fire agreement.
In the past week, Hamas released the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages and transferred the bodies of 12 captives, as reported by the Israeli government. However, forensic analysis revealed that a thirteenth body provided by Hamas did not belong to any of the identified captives.
In exchange, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and returned the remains of over 100 Palestinians to Gaza.
Late Saturday, Israel confirmed the identities of two deceased hostages whose bodies were returned: Ronen Engel, 54, and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, 30, a Thai national who worked in agriculture in the border community of Be’eri.
Mr. Engel was tragically killed in Nir Oz, another Israeli border community devastated during the Hamas-led assault in 2023, and his body was subsequently transported to Gaza.
According to the Israeli government, the bodies of 16 other captives are still held within Gaza.
Hamas has consistently stated the immense challenges in locating and recovering all remaining bodies, noting that some are buried deep beneath extensive rubble, necessitating heavy machinery for extraction.