Israel strikes Gaza after troops attacked, military says

JERUSALEM: Israel launched a series of strikes in Gaza on Sunday (Oct 19) in response to attacks on its forces, the military said, shaking an already fragile ceasefire in the shattered enclave as it traded blame with militant group Hamas for violating the truce.

Residents in Gaza and local health authorities said that Israeli airstrikes and tank fire across the enclave killed at least 11 people.

An Israeli military official said that further strikes against Hamas targets may still be launched, in retaliation for at least three attacks on Israeli troops on Sunday.

ISRAEL SAYS IT TARGETED MILITANTS

The Israeli military said that airstrikes and artillery fire targeted militants in the southern area of Rafah who had launched an anti-tank missile and fired on its soldiers.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had ordered the military to respond forcefully to what he described as Hamas' violations of the ceasefire.

Hamas' armed wing said in a statement that it remained committed to the ceasefire agreement in all of Gaza, adding that it was unaware of clashes in Rafah and that it has not been in contact with groups there since March.

The flare-up was the most serious test yet of the Gaza ceasefire, which took effect on Oct 11, halting two years of war and further dimming hopes that the US-mediated truce would lead to a lasting peace.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said the "yellow line" to where Israeli forces had pulled back under the ceasefire agreement would be physically marked and that any violation of the ceasefire or attempt to cross the line would be met with fire.

RAFAH CROSSING TO REMAIN CLOSED

The Israeli government and Hamas have been accusing each other of violations of the ceasefire for days.

Hamas issued a statement detailing what it said were a series of violations by Israel, that it says have left 46 people dead and stopped essential supplies from reaching the enclave.

On Saturday, Israel said that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt would remain closed and that its reopening would depend on Hamas fulfilling its obligations under the ceasefire.

Israel says Hamas is being too slow in handing over bodies of deceased hostages. Hamas last week released all 20 living hostages it had been holding and in the following days has handed over 12 of the 28 deceased captives.

The group says it has no interest in keeping the bodies of remaining hostages and that special equipment is needed to recover corpses buried under rubble.

Hamas' armed wing said on Sunday that it has located the body of a hostage, which it said will be delivered to Israel on Sunday if field conditions were appropriate.

The group said any Israeli "escalation" would hinder search operations.

The Rafah crossing has largely been shut since May 2024. The ceasefire deal also includes the ramping up of aid to Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people were determined in August to be affected by famine, according to the IPC global hunger monitor.

The crossing has in previous ceasefires functioned as a key conduit for humanitarian aid to flow into the enclave.

Although the flow of aid through another crossing has increased significantly since the ceasefire began, the United Nations says far more is needed.

The ceasefire has been touted as the first phase of US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war. But formidable obstacles remain.

Key questions of Hamas disarming, the governance of Gaza, the make-up of an international "stabilisation force", and moves towards the creation of a Palestinian state have yet to be resolved.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hamas has launched a security crackdown in urban areas vacated by Israeli forces, demonstrating its power through public executions and clashes with local armed clans.

Renewed fighting in Gaza and concerns over the ceasefire pushed key Tel Aviv share indices down nearly 2 per cent on Sunday.