A recent surge in violence has cast a shadow over the Gaza cease-fire, which has been in effect for just over a week and offered a glimmer of hope for an end to the two-year conflict.
On Sunday, Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza, alleging that Palestinian militants had fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire toward its forces near Rafah in southern Gaza. The Israeli military explicitly called these actions “a blatant violation” of the cease-fire agreement.
In response, Israeli forces are reportedly targeting the area to “eliminate the threat” and dismantle military infrastructure, including tunnel shafts. So far, there have been no immediate reports of casualties from either side.
While the military’s statement did not explicitly name Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel directly blamed the group for the latest aggression. Following consultations with his defense minister and security chiefs, Netanyahu issued directives for a forceful response against militant targets in Gaza.
However, Hamas’s military wing denied involvement, stating it was “unaware of any events or clashes taking place in the Rafah area.” They added that they had lost contact with their fighters there since a previous temporary cease-fire collapsed in March, and therefore, they have “no connection to any events taking place in those areas.”
Hamas’s military wing reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the current cease-fire in a separate statement.
Adding to the tensions, a Hamas official, Izzat al-Rishq, accused Israel of continuously violating the truce and fabricating “flimsy pretexts to justify its crimes.”
This recent escalation follows an incident on Friday, where the Israeli military fired upon a vehicle in northern Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least nine individuals, including four children. This was reported by a Gaza rescue service operating under the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. The Israeli military claimed the vehicle had crossed a demarcation line, a zone where Israeli forces had withdrawn as part of the cease-fire terms, and ignored warning shots before being targeted.
The Israeli military has repeatedly cautioned civilians against entering these new restricted zones or approaching its troops in Israeli-held areas. However, many Gazans, struggling with a lack of internet access, confusing maps, or simply disoriented within the ravaged enclave, have inadvertently found themselves in these forbidden areas.
In the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s violence, hard-line members of Mr. Netanyahu’s government swiftly called for a full-scale resumption of Israel’s offensive against Hamas, the militant group responsible for the October 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, the ultranationalist minister of national security, publicly urged a return to fighting “at full strength,” asserting that any belief in Hamas adhering to the cease-fire was “predictably proving dangerous to our security.”
Ben-Gvir was among the far-right ministers who initially opposed the cease-fire, advocating for continued fighting until Hamas’s complete defeat. Nevertheless, the truce had received majority government approval.
Israel currently maintains control over approximately half of Gaza and has accused Hamas fighters of operating from tunnels situated beneath these Israeli-held territories.