MAJOR escalation in Israel-Hamas war as Israeli jets launch fresh strikes on Gaza, Netanyahu shuts Rafah border crossing, accuses Hamas of…
Israel-Hamas war: Israel has reportedly launched fresh airstrikes in Gaza, raising fears of ending a fragile truce with Hamas, which has brought a much needed halt to hostilities in the war-ravaged Palestinian city. According to Israeli media reports, Israeli forces came under attack near Rafah in southern Gaza on Sunday morning, prompting retaliatory airstrikes, while Israeli naval vessels also fired towards the shoreline.
Gaza ceasefire under threat?
The Israeli attacks come a week after ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, mediated by US President Donald Trump, came into effect, following which Israeli forces withdrew from roughly half of the Gaza Strip under phase 1 of Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
Notably, both sides have accused each other of ceasefire violations since the truce came into effect. Palestinian officials claimed Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have carried out 47 ceasefire violations since it took effect, killing 38 Palestinians and wounding 143 others, Al Jazeera reported.
On Friday, the IDF said Hamas fighters opened fire on Israeli soldiers in Rafah, and later another group of militants advancing toward troops in Khan Younis was attacked by Israeli forces. The IDF has stressed that it will continue its operations to “eliminate immediate threats.”
Israel, Hamas trade ceasefire violation claims
Israel and Hamas have been accusing each other of ceasefire violations for several days. The IDF said on Friday that militants opened fire on soldiers in the Rafah area. Later, the army said it attacked another group of militants advancing toward troops in Khan Younis the same day. The IDF has said that operations will continue to eliminate immediate threats.
Trump has accused Hamas of targeting civilians and rival groups in the Gaza Strips, but the Palestinian armed group has refuted these allegations, dubbing them as “Israeli propaganda”, and has accused Netanyahu of using “flimsy pretexts to disrupt” the ceasefire deal.
Why Israel closed Rafah border crossing?
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu order the closure of Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt “until further notice,” linking the closure directly to Hamas’ handling of Israeli hostages’ bodies.
“PM Netanyahu instructed that the Rafah border crossing will not open until further notice. Its opening will be under consideration in accordance with the manner in which Hamas implements its part in return of the deceased hostages and implementation of the agreed-upon framework,” as per an official statement by Netanyahu’s office.
The Rafah border crossing was the only exit from Gaza not directly controlled by Israel, making it a critical humanitarian and logistical lifeline for residents of the besieged enclave.
Earlier, the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo had announced that the Rafah crossing would reopen on Monday, October 20, following coordination with Egyptian authorities. The reopening was intended to allow Palestinian citizens residing in Egypt to return to the Gaza Strip, it said, adding that further logistical details regarding gathering points and departure times would be communicated directly to those affected.
Meanwhile, Hamas has handed over the bodies of two more hostages to Israel. According to the IDF, the coffins of the deceased captives were transferred into Red Cross custody and are on their way to Israeli personnel in Gaza, adding that Hamas is required to return all remaining hostages under the agreement, highlighting ongoing tensions over compliance with the ceasefire.
(With inputs from agencies)
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