What happened?
Israel has launched a series of airstrikes and ground operations across Gaza after accusing Hamas militants of violating the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that began earlier this month.
According to Israeli officials, Hamas fighters fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire toward Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops near Rafah, killing two soldiers. In response, Israel suspended all humanitarian aid transfers into Gaza and carried out what it called “a wave of retaliatory strikes” across the enclave.
Casualties and damage
Gazan health officials said at least 29 Palestinians were killed, including several children and a woman, following heavy Israeli airstrikes and tank shelling. Explosions and gunfire were reported across Khan Younis and central Gaza, prompting families to flee their homes amid fears the truce was collapsing.
Residents described overnight bombardments as “the worst since the ceasefire began,” while videos on social media showed burning buildings and emergency crews digging through rubble.
Tensions over the ceasefire
An Israeli security official said aid deliveries into Gaza were halted “until further notice”, calling the Hamas attack a “bold violation” of the agreement. However, Israeli media later reported that under U.S. pressure, the government may resume limited aid transfers as early as Monday.
Hamas, meanwhile, accused Israel of “repeatedly breaching the ceasefire”, claiming that the Israeli military had continued raids and surveillance flights throughout the truce.
Diplomatic efforts to calm tensions
Egyptian officials involved in the mediation said “round-the-clock” negotiations were underway to salvage the ceasefire. The truce, brokered by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, was designed to halt a war that has killed over 68,000 people in Gaza since Israel’s campaign began in response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack, which left around 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 taken hostage.
What’s next?
U.S. and regional mediators fear the latest escalation could collapse the fragile truce and derail ongoing talks over the return of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas. Both sides continue to accuse each other of violating the ceasefire, raising fears of a renewed full-scale conflict.
