The Israeli military said on Sunday that a ceasefire in Gaza had resumed after an attack that killed two of its soldiers and prompted a wave of airstrikes that killed 26 people, in the most serious test yet of this month’s U.S.-brokered truce, Reuters reports.
Aid into the enclave was set to resume on Monday following U.S. pressure, an Israeli security source said to Reuters, shortly after Israel announced a halt in supplies in response to what it said was a “blatant” violation by Hamas of the truce.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were expected to travel to Israel on Monday, an Israeli official and a U.S. official said.
The Israeli military said it struck Hamas targets across the enclave, including field commanders, gunmen, a tunnel and weapons depots, after militants launched an anti-tank missile and fired on its troops, killing the soldiers.
The armed wing of Hamas said it remained committed to the ceasefire agreement, that it was unaware of clashes in Rafah, and had not been in contact with groups there since March.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to respond forcefully to what he described as Hamas’ violations of the ceasefire.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said the “yellow line” to where Israeli forces had pulled back under the ceasefire agreement would be physically marked and that any violation of the ceasefire or attempt to cross the line would be met with fire.
Hamas detailed what it said was a series of violations by Israel that it says have left 46 people dead and stopped essential supplies from reaching the enclave.
In the meantime, the European Union is analyzing this week its role in the Gaya Strip, after the Trump deal. The topic is both on the European Parliament’s plenary session and the European Council, this week. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has stated today that EU’s mission in Gaya is to help deploy a future Palestinian police force. He has also insisted on all check point to Gaya to be opened. The Rafah crossing has largely been shut since May 2024. The ceasefire deal also includes the ramping up of aid to Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people were determined in August to be affected by famine, according to the IPC global hunger monitor.
But, the dispute over bodies of deceased hostages continues between Israel and Hamas, as
Israel says Hamas is being too slow in handing over bodies of deceased hostages. Hamas last week released all 20 living hostages it had been holding and in the following days has handed over 12 of the 28 deceased captives.
Hamas says it has no interest in keeping the bodies of remaining hostages and that they need special equipment they don’t have in order to recover corpses buried under rubble.
