The ceasefire in Gaza hangs by a thread after Israeli fighter jets carried out airstrikes in the Strip on Tuesday (28/10), following accusations of ceasefire violations by Hamas. The organization denies any wrongdoing and blames Israel for “breaking” the ceasefire.
According to medical sources cited by Al Jazeera, Israeli forces killed at least 63 people, including 24 children, following the latest barrage of bombings in Gaza. More specifically, according to the same source:
- Three people were killed in an Israeli attack on tents where Palestinian refugees had taken shelter in al-Mawasi, according to an ambulance worker.
- A mother and her daughter were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City, in the northern part of the Strip, according to a source at al-Shifa hospital.
- Five people were killed in an attack on a house in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, according to al-Awda hospital.
- Three people were killed in an attack on a school where Palestinians had taken refuge in Beit Lahiya, according to an emergency medical services source.
Meanwhile, as reported by ANA-MPA, the Israeli army announced today that a soldier was killed during fighting in southern Gaza. This represents the latest test of a fragile peace agreement reached earlier this month through the mediation of US President Donald Trump.
The backstory behind Israel’s new attacks on Gaza – Hamas accuses Tel Aviv of ceasefire violation
According to Channel 12, citing Israeli and American officials, Benjamin Netanyahu ordered strikes on Gaza after the attack on Israeli military forces in Rafah. According to the same source, the Israeli Prime Minister was in “open line” contact with the White House regarding strikes targeting Hamas over the issue of returning the bodies of dead hostages (15 of 28 have been returned, with Israel believing the organization is “stalling” on fulfilling agreements). However, after the Rafah attack, Netanyahu held a smaller security cabinet session following the first one yesterday morning, without deciding on new strikes, during which he decided to resume airstrikes on Gaza and advance plans to expand the yellow line. Netanyahu’s plans to expand Israel’s control line in Gaza are now at the center of ongoing talks with the Trump administration to decide how far Tel Aviv should go, according to Channel 12.
It should be noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a brief statement yesterday, announced that he ordered “strong attacks,” without specifying further details. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Hamas had crossed a “red line” by attacking soldiers and violating the agreement on returning bodies.
In any case, maintaining the ceasefire is becoming increasingly difficult for Netanyahu, with the Israeli Prime Minister facing growing pressure for a “dynamic” response from his government partners. Israeli media report that a “strong” response to Hamas appears to be one of the few elements around which there is broader consensus, while the Times of Israel (citing Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office) reports that the order for Gaza strikes was given by Netanyahu first yesterday, and then Washington was informed about this decision.
Hamas postpones hostage body handover – Digging in tunnels to locate remaining bodies
For its part, Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and said it would postpone the scheduled handover of a hostage’s body. It also stated that it discovered the bodies of two more Israeli captives, Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch, during search operations conducted on Tuesday. Suhail al-Hindi, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, told Al Jazeera that the Palestinian organization remains committed to the ceasefire and that the Israelis bear “full responsibility for any delay in recovering the remaining bodies” of the hostages.
Meanwhile, shocking photographs circulating worldwide show Hamas digging in tunnels, searching for hostage bodies.
Trump’s message: “Nothing will jeopardize” the Gaza ceasefire – Warning to Hamas
On a flight from Japan to South Korea, Trump told reporters accompanying him on Air Force One that “nothing will jeopardize” the ceasefire in Gaza City.
The American President blamed Hamas for Tuesday’s strikes, stating characteristically: “they killed an Israeli soldier, so the Israelis retaliated.” He warned Hamas that if the terms of the agreement with Israel are not adhered to, it will be eliminated.
US Vice President J.D. Vance moved along the same lines, trying to downplay Tuesday’s incident, telling reporters that the ceasefire would be maintained. “There will be minor clashes here and there,” he said, adding: “We know Hamas attacked an IDF soldier. We expect the Israelis to respond.”
