New Delhi: Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out attacks in Rafah and elsewhere in southern Gaza on Sunday after accusing Hamas of “blatant violation” of the ceasefire.
According to Israeli broadcaster Channel 12, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in discussions with Defence Minister Israel Katz and members of the Israeli army on the situation.
The fresh strikes followed an ‘exchange of fire’ with Hamas, Israel’s public broadcaster said.
Al Jazeera reported that an IED was detonated in Rafah, resulting in injuries among Israeli soldiers.
An AFP report said that fighting erupted in parts of Rafah city, which is still under Israeli control, followed by two air strikes. The news agency quoted an Israeli official as saying that Hamas fighters had attacked Israeli forces with sniper fire and a rocket-propelled grenade.
🚨BREAKING: A new breach is happening right now: Israeli airstrikes on Rafah, southern Gaza.
🚨According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, since the ceasefire, Israel has carried out 47 violations, resulting in 38 Palestinians killed and 143 injured. pic.twitter.com/g43iZnmccU— Gaza Notifications (@gazanotice) October 19, 2025
Netanyahu has maintained that war in Gaza will not be over until Hamas disarms and the Palestinian territory is demilitarised.
“When that is successfully completed — hopefully in an easy way, but if not, in a hard way — then the war will end,” the Israeli PM told Israeli Channel 14 on Saturday.
Hamas, on the other hand, accused Israel of violating the ceasefire.
“Netanyahu’s attempts to evade his obligations come under pressure from his own extremist terrorist coalition, as he seeks to shirk responsibility toward the mediators and guarantors,” a senior Hamas official said.
Ever since the Donald Trump administration brokered a ceasefire agreement, Israeli government and Hamas have been accusing each other of violations of ceasefire.
Hamas has returned 20 surviving hostages and the remains of 12 deceased ones.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas was to hand over all of the hostages, dead and alive, before 0900 GMT on Monday.
Hamas has said it needs time and technical assistance to recover the remaining bodies from under Gaza’s rubble.
