Israel launched airstrikes on southern Gaza early Sunday in the first major test of its ceasefire with Hamas, as the two sides traded accusations of significant breaches of the deal brokered by President Donald Trump.
Israel said that Hamas had carried out “a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement” with attacks on its forces in the Rafah area.
Hamas restated its commitment to the truce and said it had no knowledge of any clashes. A senior official accused Israel of working to “fabricate flimsy pretexts” for its own actions.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it had begun strikes around Rafah “to eliminate the threat” posed by militants and “dismantle tunnel shafts and military structures used for terrorist activity.”
Israel said it was acting “in accordance with the ceasefire agreement,” accusing militants of firing an anti-tank missile and gunfire toward IDF troops in the area.
An Israeli military official earlier accused Hamas of a “bold violation of the ceasefire” with incidents including a rocket-propelled grenade attack and a sniper attack against Israeli forces.
“Hamas carried out multiple attacks against Israeli forces beyond the yellow line,” the Israeli military official said, referring to the area where its military is now positioned inside Gaza under the first phase of the ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in statement that he had directed officials to take "strong action" against "terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip." Defense Minister Israel Katz said that “Hamas will learn the hard way today that the IDF is determined to protect its soldiers and prevent any harm to them.”
Izzat Al-Rishq, a senior member of Hamas’ political wing, said the group “affirms its commitment to the ceasefire agreement,” accusing Israel of violating the agreement and working to “fabricate flimsy pretexts” to evade its responsibilities.
In a longer statement Sunday, Hamas said it had "fully, accurately, and faithfully committed to implementing the agreement" and accused Israel of repeatedly violating the truce. The group alleges Israeli forces have killed civilians, delayed the release of detainees and blocked aid delivery, warning that Israel would be responsible if the deal collapsed.
Hamas’ armed wing said it was “unaware of any events or clashes taking place in the Rafah area,” adding that the area was under Israeli control and that its contact with groups there had been cut off since the collapse of a previous ceasefire in March. It also affirmed its “full commitment to implementing everything that was agreed upon, foremost among which is the ceasefire.”
The truce between Israel and Hamas came into effect on Oct. 10, when the group agreed to release all Israeli hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and detainees under the first phase of a deal brokered by the United States.
Both sides have accused the other of violating the terms of the deal.
Israel says Hamas is delaying the release of the bodies of hostages held inside Gaza, while Hamas says it will take time to search for and recover remains.
Israel identified the two bodies returned by Hamas via the Red Cross on Saturday night as those of hostages Ronen Tommy Engel and Sonthaya Oakkharasri. The identifications bring the total number of deceased hostages handed over since the truce to 12. 16 bodies remain in Gaza.
The ceasefire also includes the ramping up of aid into Gaza, where the world’s leading authority on hunger has declared a famine in some areas.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt would remain closed “until further notice,” citing the hostage dispute.
There have been flashes of violence within Gaza during the ceasefire, marked by at least one public execution and Hamas clashes with rival factions as the militant group tried to reassert control amid the ceasefire in the war-torn territory.
The U.S. State Department said in a post on social media Saturday that there had been “credible reports indicating an imminent ceasefire violation by Hamas against the people of Gaza.”
Hamas rejected the suggestion, saying it was “fully consistent with misleading Israeli propaganda.”
