Israel said on Sunday that it had carried out airstrikes and opened artillery fire on targets in southern Gaza, trading mutual accusations with Hamas and dampening hopes that the ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump would lead to lasting peace.
“Earlier today, terrorists fired an anti-tank missile and opened fire on IDF soldiers operating in the Rafah area in southern Gaza under the ceasefire agreement,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. “In response, the IDF launched strikes on the area to eliminate the threat and destroy tunnel shafts and military sites used for terrorist activity.”
According to media reports, Hamas officials said they were “not aware” of any clashes in Rafah and that the group “remains committed to the ceasefire agreement.” At the same time, Hamas accused Israel of “violating the agreements and fabricating pretexts to justify its crimes.”
The far-right wing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition seized the moment to demand a full resumption of the war. As the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on the army to “fully” resume military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Ежедневный ад
Peace in Gaza Begins with Chaos
The U.S. Seeks to Shape a Postwar Order as Hamas Holds Power and Risks Derailing the Deal
Peace in Gaza Comes Down to a “Yes, But” Formula
The Trump Plan and the New York Declaration Create an Illusion of Compromise, Leaving Both Sides With Their Own Terms
According to The Times of Israel, on Saturday Ben-Gvir said he had given Netanyahu a deadline to eliminate Hamas and introduce the death penalty for terrorists, threatening to pull his ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party out of the government if these demands were not met.
The same day, the U.S. State Department announced that it had “credible information” about possible ceasefire violations by Hamas, including attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza. If confirmed, the statement said, “this would constitute a direct and serious breach” of the agreement brokered by President Trump to end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas.
According to Bloomberg, an Israeli official said there are preliminary plans for U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance to visit the Middle East in the coming week, possibly accompanying White House special envoy Steve Witkoff — a move seen as a sign of Washington’s serious intent to reinforce the agreement. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem declined to comment.