Israel launches Gaza air strikes as Hamas accused of "ceasefire violation"

[ad_1] Israel struck southern Gaza on Sunday, in line with the Israeli navy, after accusing Palestinian militant group Hamas of a "blatant violation" of the primary stage of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire settlement.

The Israel Protection Forces (IDF) mentioned in a press release "terrorists fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire towards IDF troops" within the Rafah space of southern Gaza. The IDF mentioned when contacted for clarification the assertion referred to Hamas operatives.

The navy mentioned it had began "placing within the space" and mentioned this was a "a blatant violation of the ceasefire settlement." Hamas has mentioned it's dedicated to the ceasefire and has accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire.

<img id="10902147" alt="Trucks carrying humanitarian aids prepare to enter the buffer zone outside Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, following an agreement between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire, Thursday, Oct.16, 2025" caption="Trucks carrying humanitarian aids prepare to enter the buffer zone outside Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, following an agreement between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire, Thursday, Oct.16, 2025" src="AP Photo/Mohamed Arafat" sourcealt="" sources="[]" fetchpriority="auto" loading="lazy" width="4566" height="3044" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover" sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1536px, (min-width: 768px) 768px, 100vw" srcset="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25289492252269.jpg?w=640&quality=75&webp=1 640w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25289492252269.jpg?w=750&quality=75&webp=1 750w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25289492252269.jpg?w=1000&quality=75&webp=1 1000w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25289492252269.jpg?w=1200&quality=75&webp=1 1200w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25289492252269.jpg?w=1360&quality=75&webp=1 1360w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25289492252269.jpg?w=1600&quality=75&webp=1 1600w" bad-src="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25289492252269.jpg?w=1600&quality=75&webp=1"/> The primary a part of the U.S.'s 20-part peace plan for Gaza got here into power on October 10, and Hamas handed over the remaining 20 dwelling hostages nonetheless held within the strip. Israel launched 250 Palestinian prisoners and greater than 1,700 Palestinians held by Israeli authorities. The our bodies of the 28 deceased hostages are nonetheless being returned to Israel.

The Palestinian Wafa information company reported Israel had handed over the stays of 15 Gazans on Sunday through the Worldwide Committee of the Pink Cross, bringing the entire variety of our bodies returned to Gaza to 150.

Hamas-led militants killed round 1,200 folks in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and took 251 extra as hostages into Gaza. Israel's battle on Hamas in Gaza within the two years because the assaults have devastated the territory and killed greater than 68,000 folks, in line with Hamas-run well being authorities. Israel officers say the figures, which do not distinguish between combatants and civilians, usually are not dependable, however they're incessantly referenced by worldwide officers and companies.

Israel on Sunday confirmed Hamas had delivered the stays of 54-year-old Ronen Engel and Thai citizen Suntaya Akrasi, 30. Each had been killed throughout the October 7 assaults, Israel's navy mentioned.

The subsequent stage of the U.S.-brokered deal stays unclear.

The U.S. State Division had mentioned late on Saturday it had "credible experiences" that Hamas meant to interrupt the ceasefire settlement and perform a "deliberate assault towards Palestinian civilians."

"Ought to Hamas proceed with this assault, measures can be taken to guard the folks of Gaza and protect the integrity of the ceasefire," the U.S. authorities assertion learn. Hamas dismissed the report as baseless.

The Wafa information company reported two Palestinians had been killed and an unspecified variety of others injured in an Israeli airstrike east of Jabalia, in northern Gaza.

Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, mentioned on Saturday the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt would "not open till additional discover," including entry to and from the strip would rely upon Hamas handing over the stays of the hostages in Gaza, and adhering to the ceasefire settlement.