Israel targeted Gaza less than three weeks after the ceasefire went into effect, following accusations of violation of the fragile truce. The strikes followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for “powerful” assaults, on 28th October. The development transpired soon after the country reported that Hamas had fired on its troops in southern Gaza.
In response to Hamas attack on Israeli forces, the IDF struck the Gaza City. Moreover, infrastructure in Southern Gaza used by Hamas was also hit. “Following the security consultations, Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed the military echelon to carry out powerful strikes in the Gaza Strip immediately,” conveyed an official statement. The military sources said that IDF is returning fire to prevent the Hamas operatives to cross onto the Israeli side of the Yellow Line drawn as per the ‘peace agreement’.
IDF said that reservist soldier Yona Efraim Feldbaum was killed in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday by Hamas sniper fire. Hamas-affiliated Gaza Civil Defence claimed that at least 9 individuals have been killed and two more wounded. Citing breaches of the agreement, Hamas informed that it would delay the scheduled delivery of a retrieved hostage’s body.
The attacks killed at least 26 individuals, including 5 in a car in Khan Younis, 4 in a building in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City and 5 in a residence in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, according to Reuters.
On the evening of 28th October, airstrikes happened in the centre of the Gaza Strip and east Deir al-Balah. Witnesses indicated that Israeli planes resumed their attacks spanning the Gaza Strip throughout the morning of 29th October.
According to an Israeli military spokesman, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel were fired upon in Rafah and retaliated. “Hamas violated the ceasefire once again, carrying out an attack against IDF forces east to the yellow line, an area under Israeli control. This is yet another blatant violation of the ceasefire. This comes after Hamas has also shown their true face and the fact that are pretending to not know where the remaining hostages are,” he emphasized, reported Sky news.
“The first line of this agreement is that all of our hostages should have been returned on the first day of this agreement. They were supposed to give back all of our hostages, and there was supposed to be a ceasefire. There are still 13 of our murdered hostages (in Gaza). Secondly, Hamas are firing on our troops. That is not a ceasefire. This is not about ceasing fire,” voiced Israeli government spokesman David Mencer.
Meanwhile, an Israeli official expressed that the Jewish state did not view the clash as a breach of the agreement, based on NBC News. He disclosed that President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner was in contact with Netanyahu. Kushner was instrumental in draughting the peace deal.
“The Israelis hit back and they should hit back when that happens,” reacted United States president Donald Trump after the latest incident. He asserted that Hamas constituted a “very small part” of Middle Eastern peace and the ceasefire was not in trouble. “They said they would be good, and if they’re good they’re going to be happy and if they’re not good, they’re going to be terminated,” he further warned.
This is not the first violence after the ‘peace deal’ in Egypt brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. On 19th October, Israel had conducted similar strikes in Gaza after two Israeli soldiers were killed in terror attack by Hamas in Rafah.
However, President Trump has announced that nothing is going to jeopardize the ceasefire in Gaza. However, he added that Israel should hit back if its soldiers were killed. “They killed an Israeli soldier. So the Israelis hit back. And they should hit back,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
Trump warned Hamas by saying, “Hamas is a very small part of peace in the Middle East, and they have to behave. They said they would be good, and if they’re good, they’re going to be happy, and if they’re not good, they’re going to be terminated.”
US Vice President JD Vance also said that the ceasefire which started on 10th October is still in effect. He said, “The president achieved a historic peace in the Middle East. The ceasefire is holding. That doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be little skirmishes here and there. We know that Hamas or somebody else within Gaza attacked an IDF soldier. We expect the Israelis are going to respond, but I think the president’s peace is going to hold despite that,” he stated.
