The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed airstrikes against Hamas in Rafah following a violation of the ceasefire by the Palestinian group. Reports indicate that earlier on Sunday, Hamas fired an anti-tank missile at Israeli military engineering vehicles and directed gunfire toward Israeli soldiers.
In response to the incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a situational assessment with Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir to evaluate Israel’s response. The IDF has not provided immediate confirmation regarding the attack details.
Izzat al-Rishq, a senior official within Hamas, accused Netanyahu of undermining the ceasefire agreement, suggesting that he was yielding to pressures from his right-wing coalition partners. Al-Rishq asserted that while Hamas remains committed to the ceasefire, “the Zionist occupation continues to violate the deal and fabricate flimsy pretexts to justify its crimes.” He further claimed that Netanyahu is attempting to evade commitments made to international mediators.
Following the reports of the Israeli strike, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Netanyahu to direct the IDF to fully resume military operations in the Gaza Strip. He stated, “The Nazi terrorist organization must be completely destroyed – and preferably as soon as possible.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich expressed a similar sentiment by simply tweeting, “War!”
The situation escalated after a warning from the United States State Department on Saturday night. The department communicated to nations guaranteeing the Gaza ceasefire about “credible reports” indicating an impending violation by Hamas. They emphasized that any planned attack against Palestinian civilians would represent a significant breach of the ceasefire agreement.
Hamas dismissed the U.S. warning on Sunday morning, characterizing it as alignment with what they termed Israel’s misleading propaganda. Since the ceasefire began, Hamas has reportedly been involved in a series of killings targeting anti-Hamas clans in the Gaza Strip, resulting in at least 32 fatalities.
This developing story highlights the fragile nature of the ceasefire and the ongoing tensions in the region, with both sides poised for further escalations. As the situation unfolds, the international community continues to watch closely.
