Gaza’s fragile nine-day truce frayed on Sunday after the Israeli army said it struck targets in the south in response to what it described as attacks by Hamas fighters. Hamas denied violating the ceasefire and accused Israel of using “pretexts” to restart strikes.
Israel’s prime minister ordered security forces to act “against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip,” while the military said militants fired anti‑tank missiles and opened fire on troops operating in Rafah. The IDF said it hit Rafah with fighter jets and artillery in retaliation.
The truce — brokered by US President Donald Trump and effective from October 10 — paused more than two years of intense fighting and set out a framework for hostage‑prisoner swaps and a wider roadmap for Gaza. From the start, implementation has been rocky.
Eyewitnesses in Rafah reported clashes between militants and a local gang, and said army tanks and air strikes followed. Politically, the incident triggered calls from some Israeli ministers for a full resumption of operations against Hamas. Hardline national security voices demanded a tougher response, arguing the ceasefire cannot stand if attacks continue.
Hamas political official Izzat Al‑Rishq insisted the group remained committed to the truce and accused Israel of fabricating excuses to justify fresh assaults.
