Renewed violence in Gaza threatens ceasefire
Israel launched deadly strikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, saying they were in response to attacks by Hamas militants, as the nine-day-old ceasefire in the Palestinian territory came under heavy strain.
Hamas denied attacking Israeli forces, with one official accusing Israel of devising "pretexts" to resume its own assault.
The Israeli military said in a statement: "In response to the blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement earlier today, the IDF (Israeli military) has begun a series of strikes against Hamas terror targets in the southern Gaza Strip."
That followed a number of strikes earlier on Sunday, including in Rafah in southern Gaza.
Gaza's civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas authority, said at least 21 people had been killed across the territory. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports of casualties.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier instructed security forces to take "strong action against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip", his office said in a statement, accusing Hamas of "a ceasefire violation".
Defence Minister Israel Katz then warned that the group would "pay a heavy price for every shot and every breach of the ceasefire", adding Israel's response would "become increasingly severe".
The uneasy truce in the Palestinian territory, brokered by US President Donald Trump and taking effect on 10 October, brought to a halt more than two years of devastating war between Israel and Hamas.
The deal established the outline for hostage and prisoner exchanges, and was proposed alongside an ambitious roadmap for Gaza's future but has immediately faced challenges in implementation.
"Earlier today, terrorists fired anti-tank missiles and opened fire on IDF (army) forces," in Rafah, the military said in a statement.
"The IDF responded with air strikes by fighter jets and artillery fire, targeting the Rafah area," the statement said.
Palestinian witnesses told AFP clashes erupted in the southern city of Rafah in an area still held by Israel.
One witness, a 38-year-old man who asked not to be identified by name, said that Hamas had been fighting a local Palestinian gang known as Abu Shabab but the militants were "surprised by the presence of army tanks".
"The air force conducted two strikes from the air," he said.
- 'Security illusion' -
National security minister and right-wing firebrand Itamar Ben Gvir urged the army to "fully resume fighting in the Strip with all force".
A statement from Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of Hamas's political bureau, reaffirmed the group's commitment to the ceasefire and said Israel "continues to breach the agreement and fabricate flimsy pretexts to justify its crimes".
Hamas's armed wing insisted on Sunday that the group was adhering to the ceasefire agreement with Israel and had "no knowledge" of any clashes in Rafah.
Under Trump's 20-point plan, Israeli forces have withdrawn beyond the so-called Yellow Line, leaving them in control of around half of Gaza, including the territory's borders but not its main cities.
Hamas in turn has released 20 surviving hostages and is in the process of returning the remaining bodies of those who have died.
The war, triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, has killed at least 68,159 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures the United Nations considers credible.
The data does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but indicates that more than half of the dead are women and children.
Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
- Rafah crossing closed -
On Sunday, Israel identified the latest two bodies returned overnight as Ronen Engel, a photojournalist and volunteer ambulance driver, and Thai farmworker Sonthaya Oakkharasri.
Israel returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza on Sunday, bringing the total number handed over to 150, the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said.
The issue of hostage bodies still in Gaza has become a sticking point in the ceasefire implementation, with Israel linking the reopening of the main gateway into the territory to the recovery of all of the deceased.
Relief agencies have called for the Rafah crossing from Egypt to be reopened to speed the flow of food, fuel and medicines.
Hamas has so far resisted disarming and, since the pause in fighting, has moved to reassert its control over Gaza.
The group has said it needs time and technical assistance to recover the remaining bodies from under Gaza's rubble.
Netanyahu's office said reopening Rafah would "be considered based on how Hamas fulfils its part in returning the hostages and the bodies of the deceased, and in implementing the agreed-upon framework," it said.
Hamas warned late Saturday that the closure of the crossing would cause "significant delays in the retrieval and transfer of remains".
burs-dc-csp/dcp/rlp
A.G.Meier--BVZ
