Israel carried out three airstrikes on Rafah in southern Gaza on Sunday morning. Gaza, reports Al-Arabiya. The attack is said to be a response to Hamas carrying out attacks on Israeli troops behind the so-called “yellow line” in the area.
"Earlier today, terrorists fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire at IDF troops. These terrorist acts constitute a clear violation of the ceasefire, and the IDF will respond forcefully," writes IDF in a post on the X platform.
Hamas' armed wing claims it is unaware of any incidents or clashes in Rafah, writes The Guardian. But Hamas has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire after a bus carrying civilians was attacked in Gaza City on Friday. According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, 11 people died.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a “powerful operation against terror targets in Gaza,” his office wrote on X, adding that Netanyahu spoke with his defense minister during the day. According to Axios, Netanyahu reportedly notified the US in advance of the strikes – but did not “ask for permission.”
At least 33 Palestinians dead
Hamas said at 3:30 p.m. Swedish time that it had located the remains of an Israeli hostage and that it intended to hand him over “if conditions permit.” The terror group warned that an Israeli escalation of the conflict could make this more difficult, The Guardian writes, citing information from the Reuters news agency.
On Sunday afternoon, the IDF carried out new attacks on targets in Gaza."In response to the flagrant violation of the ceasefire earlier today, the IDF has launched a series of attacks on Hamas terror targets in the southern Gaza Strip," the military writes in a statement.
At least 33 Palestinians, including children, were killed in Sunday's attacks, according to local authorities, reports The Guardian The IDF says two Israeli soldiers were killed.
No emergency aid to Gaza
Israel now stops all emergency aid to Gaza"until further notice", writes Haaretz In a post on Platform X, journalist Barak Ravid writes that Benjamin Netanyahu, according to information from a senior Israeli official, has decided that all border crossings should be closed.
Benjamin Dousa, the moderate aid minister, is critical of Israel's decision to pause emergency aid. In a written comment, he says:
– The Israeli government needs to immediately allow humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza. Using the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare constitutes a war crime. Both parties now need to abide by the terms of the ceasefire so that human suffering can be reduced.
Expert: Trump's peace plan is thin
Anders Persson, Middle East expert and researcher at Linnaeus University, perceives the situation as a serious crisis for the ceasefire.
– It shows how restless and chaotic it is on the ground in Gaza, but also how thin Trump's peace plan is, he says.
The American president would see it as a huge loss of prestige if the ceasefire falls through, according to Persson.
– But neither side has said so far that the ceasefire is over, and then we can assume that it is still in effect. We will potentially see similar events in the future, without necessarily breaking the ceasefire completely.
Hamas: Wants to maintain ceasefire
The Guardian also reports that Hamas leader Izzat Al Risheq said in a statement that they still intend to maintain the ceasefire.
“Netanyahu’s attempts to evade and renege on his promises come under pressure from his extremist, terrorist-labeled coalition, in an attempt to escape his responsibility to the mediators.”
At the same time, there have been reports this week that Hamas executes people belonging to armed clans in Gaza. Something that is also a violation of the agreed ceasefire according to the US State Department – which warns that Hamas will continue to kill civilians inside Gaza.
Hamas has denied the reports and says it is Israeli propaganda.
