A mere week after a fragile cease-fire brought a glimmer of hope to Gaza, violence has erupted once more, casting a dark shadow over the truce. On Sunday, Israel launched a series of intense attacks across the Gaza Strip and announced a suspension of humanitarian aid to the territory. These actions came after Israel accused Hamas of firing on its forces and blatantly violating the agreement.
Despite the severe escalation, both Israel and Hamas have publicly stated their intent to uphold the cease-fire. However, the suspension of aid, confirmed by anonymous Israeli officials, signals a deepening crisis.
Over the past three days, both sides have pointed fingers, each accusing the other of breaching the truce. The Israeli military reported Sunday that Palestinian militants had attacked its forces in Gaza, firing an anti-tank missile and then engaging troops in the Rafah area, a southern region still under Israeli control as per the cease-fire terms. This, they declared, was a “blatant violation.” In retaliation, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes to “eliminate the threat” and destroy militant infrastructure like tunnel shafts. Later on Sunday, these strikes intensified, targeting dozens of Hamas sites across Gaza.
Hamas’s military wing, however, denied any knowledge of clashes in the Rafah area, claiming to have lost contact with their fighters there. An Israeli military official, speaking anonymously, also reported that Israeli forces struck armed militants attempting to cross the cease-fire line in northern Gaza.
Gaza’s health ministry tragically reported 14 Palestinian deaths by Sunday afternoon, though it didn’t specify whether they were combatants or civilians. The Israeli military has not yet commented on these casualties.
While the military’s statement avoided naming Hamas directly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly attributed the renewed violence to the group. Following consultations with his defense minister and security chiefs, Netanyahu issued firm instructions for a forceful response against militant targets in Gaza.
Hamas officials maintain that they have had no communication with their fighters in Rafah since a previous temporary cease-fire collapsed in March, asserting they have “no connection to any events taking place in those areas.” Izzat al-Rishq, a Hamas official, further accused Israel of fabricating “flimsy pretexts to justify its crimes,” insisting that Israel continues to violate the truce.
This follows an incident on Friday where the Israeli military fired on a vehicle in northern Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least nine people, including four children, according to a Gaza rescue service. Israel’s military stated that the vehicle had crossed a demarcation line and ignored warning shots, leading to the “suspicious” vehicle being targeted.
Adding to the confusion and danger, many Gazans, often without internet access or clear maps, find themselves lost in the devastated enclave and are uncertain if they are entering restricted military zones. The Israeli military has repeatedly warned civilians to avoid these areas.
In the wake of Sunday’s violence, hard-line members of Netanyahu’s government swiftly called for a full resumption of Israel’s offensive to completely defeat Hamas, the group responsible for the devastating Oct. 7, 2023, attack that initiated the war. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the ultranationalist minister of national security, reiterated his demand for “full strength” fighting, arguing that any belief in Hamas adhering to the cease-fire was “predictably proving dangerous to our security.” Ben-Gvir has consistently opposed the cease-fire, advocating for continuous military action until Hamas is entirely vanquished.
Currently, Israel still controls about half of Gaza and alleges that Hamas fighters are operating from tunnels beneath these Israeli-held territories. Israeli officials have also voiced frustration over the slow pace at which Hamas is returning the remains of deceased captives, a key component of the cease-fire agreement.
Over the past week, Hamas has released the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages and handed over the bodies of 12 captives, as reported by the Israeli government. However, a 13th body delivered by Hamas was later identified by forensic experts as not matching any of the captives. In return, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and transferred the bodies of over 100 Palestinians to Gaza.
On Saturday night, Israel confirmed the identification of two more deceased hostages whose bodies were returned: Ronen Engel, 54, and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, 30, a Thai agricultural worker from Be’eri. Mr. Engel was tragically killed in Nir Oz, another border community devastated during the 2023 Hamas-led attack, and his body was subsequently taken to Gaza. The Israeli government reports that the remains of 16 other captives are still believed to be in Gaza.
Hamas has consistently stated that locating and recovering all remaining bodies is a difficult task, with many buried deep under rubble and requiring heavy equipment for extraction. Reporting for this piece was also contributed by Gabby Sobelman, Johnatan Reiss, Abu Bakr Bashir, and Iyad Abuheweila.