A displaced Palestinian boy carries a box of emergency supplies provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) after receiving it at a humanitarian aid distribution center in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza Strip, on Oct. 19, 2025. (Credit: Eyad Baba/AFP)
The cease-fire in the Gaza Strip was under threat on Sunday after the Israeli army said it had carried out airstrikes in the south of the Palestinian territory in response to Hamas attacks on its positions, a claim the movement denied.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced a “violation of the cease-fire” and ordered the army to act “forcefully” against “terrorist” targets in Gaza. Hamas, for its part, reaffirmed its commitment to respecting the truce.
Under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, the cease-fire came into effect on Oct. 10 after two years of devastating war in the Gaza Strip, triggered by an unprecedented Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
As part of the first phase of this agreement, Hamas handed over on Oct. 13, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, 20 living hostages it had been holding in the Palestinian territory since Oct. 7, and began returning the bodies of several others.
“Terrorists fired anti-tank missiles and opened fire on IDF forces, who were acting to destroy terrorist infrastructure in the Rafah area in accordance with the terms of the agreement,” the Israeli army said in a statement on Sunday.
“War!”
“To neutralize the threat,” the army “launched airstrikes and artillery fire in the Rafah area,” it added, calling the incident a “flagrant violation of the cease-fire.”
A witness told AFP that “warplanes carried out two airstrikes on Rafah. There are no details yet about casualties or injuries. The area is under Israeli military control.”
Another said that “Hamas fighters targeted a group from Yasser Abu Shabab [a rival of Hamas] in southeastern Rafah. They were surprised by the presence of army tanks nearby. It seems there were some clashes … The air force carried out two airstrikes on the site,” he added.
“We have no knowledge of incidents or clashes taking place in the Rafah area,” said Hamas’s armed wing in a statement.
“It is the Zionist occupation that continues to violate the agreement,” said earlier Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’s political bureau.
Israeli officials immediately reacted to the incident, such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who wrote “War!” on X.
Shortly before these incidents, Israel announced on Sunday that it had identified the two bodies of hostages handed over the day before in Gaza by Hamas, as part of the ceasefire agreement. So far, the number of bodies returned to Israel stands at 12.
Israeli authorities said they had identified the bodies of Israeli Ronen Engel and Thai national Sonthaya Oakkharasri. Both were killed on Oct. 7, 2023, and their bodies were taken to Gaza.
On Sunday, Israel again stated that it would make “no compromise” until all the deceased hostages held in Gaza were brought back.
Israel is conditioning the reopening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, crucial for the entry of humanitarian aid into the Palestinian territory, on the return of all deceased hostages.
Hamas, however, said that the closure of the Rafah crossing blocks the entry of equipment needed to recover bodies from under the rubble.
“Enormous task”
The first senior UN official to visit the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire, Tom Fletcher, head of UN humanitarian operations, visited Gaza City on Saturday, noting the “enormous” task facing the humanitarian community in providing emergency aid.
Much of the Palestinian territory has been destroyed during the Israeli offensive, plunging it into a dire humanitarian situation.
While the Israeli army controls all access points to the Gaza Strip, the ceasefire agreement provides for a flow of humanitarian aid for the civilian population, which lacks everything.
On the ground, rescue teams are working to recover the bodies of Palestinians buried under the rubble.
The Oct. 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data.
The Israeli offensive has caused 68,159 deaths in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza Health Ministry.
According to the Health Minister in Gaza, more than 400 bodies have been recovered from the rubble since Oct. 10.
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