Israel and Hamas have charged each other with breaking an October 10 truce, with both sides now again pledging to uphold it
Overnight Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed 104 Palestinians, including 46 children, the local health authorities have reported. Despite trading accusations of ceasefire violations, both Israel and Hamas have said they are still committed to honoring a US-brokered truce that was agreed on October 10.
In a series of posts on X on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that it had “begun the renewed enforcement of the ceasefire,” following a “series of strikes, in which dozens of terror targets and terrorists were struck… in response to Hamas’ violations.”
Late on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of failing to follow the agreed upon schedule and procedure for the repatriation of the bodies of deceased Israeli hostages.
On top of that, an Israeli serviceman was killed on Tuesday. His vehicle reportedly came under fire in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Hamas denied any involvement in the attack, and attributed delays in body repatriations to the immense destruction in Gaza caused by Israeli strikes, which it says is hindering efforts to locate remains.
In a statement cited by the media, Hamas charged that the “treacherous escalation… reveals a clear Israeli intention to undermine the ceasefire agreement.” The Islamist group went on to accuse the US of providing “political cover” for its ally.
Hamas urged ceasefire mediators and guarantors, which include Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye, to “immediately pressure the occupying government to halt its massacres.”
Speaking on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said that Israel’s response to the soldier’s death was appropriate. He added that “nothing is going to jeopardize [the agreement],” warning that should Hamas fail to “behave… their lives will be terminated.”
The previous flare-up between Israel and Hamas happened on October 19, with Israeli airstrikes killing at least 44 people across Gaza.
Israel launched its military campaign in the Palestinian enclave in response to a Hamas surprise attack in which 1,200 people were killed and 250 others taken hostage in October 2023.
According to Hamas-controlled Gaza health authorities, Israeli military action has left at least 68,000 Palestinians dead since.
