The Israeli military announced on Saturday, October 25, 2025, that its forces conducted a ‘targeted strike’ in central Gaza. According to Israel, the operation aimed at neutralizing an individual who was actively planning attacks against Israeli troops. This event occurs amidst a U.S.-backed ceasefire that has been in place for just over two years since the start of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, a truce that has frequently seen both Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas accuse each other of violations.
Israel specified that the individual targeted was a member of Islamic Jihad. However, the Palestinian militant group issued a statement on Sunday, October 26, 2025, vehemently denying Israel’s claims, calling the alleged planned attack a ‘mere fallacious allegation.’
The group’s statement did not clarify whether the person targeted in the Israeli strike was killed.
Witnesses who spoke to Reuters reported observing a drone striking a car, which then burst into flames. Local medical sources confirmed four individuals were wounded in the incident, though there were no immediate reports of fatalities.
Separately, witnesses in Gaza also reported that Israeli tanks shelled eastern districts of Gaza City, the largest urban area in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military has not yet commented on these shelling reports.
In a notable shift from its previous policy of restricting foreign forces, several Israeli media outlets indicated that Israel has allowed Egyptian officials into the Gaza Strip. The purpose of this entry is to aid in locating the remains of hostages taken during the Hamas-led attack on Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, which initiated the war.
Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, Hamas had pledged to return all abducted hostages. However, the remains of 13 individuals are still believed to be held within the enclave.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has not provided an immediate response to inquiries regarding these latest developments.