Israeli forces launched airstrikes on Rafah in southern Gaza and Jabaliya in the north early Sunday, marking a major breach of the ceasefire agreement brokered just days earlier. The renewed bombardment follows a heated exchange of accusations between Israel and Hamas over who first violated the fragile truce.
According to Sky News, the Israeli Air Force struck targets in Rafah following an exchange of fire between Israeli occupation troops and Palestinian fighters. Israeli media claimed that “gunmen opened fire on a military vehicle in Rafah,” prompting return fire from Israeli forces.
Israeli outlets added that “this is not the first time Hamas has violated the ceasefire since it took effect,” alleging that fighters emerged from a tunnel in Rafah and opened fire on Israeli troops—though no injuries were reported.
Al Jazeera, however, reported that the air raids on Rafah aimed to protect the militia of Yasser Abu Shabab. He emerged during the Israeli genocide in Gaza as the leader of the so-called “Popular Forces in Gaza,” a militia accused of collaborating with Israeli occupation forces.
Simultaneously, several Palestinian civilians were killed and others wounded in an Israeli airstrike east of Jabaliya in northern Gaza. The escalation coincides with renewed calls from senior Israeli ministers to resume the war.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged a return to full-scale aggression, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order a complete resumption of fighting.
“The false imaginations that Hamas will turn its back, or even abide by the agreement it signed, are predictably proving dangerous to our security,” he added. “The Nazi terror organization must be annihilated completely—and the sooner, the better.”
In response, Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau stated, “We remain committed to the Gaza ceasefire agreement.” He accused Israel of repeatedly violating the truce and fabricating pretexts to justify its continued crimes.
Israel continues to accuse Hamas of “blatant violations” of the truce. An Israeli military official told Reuters that Hamas had launched multiple attacks on Israeli occupation forces “outside the yellow line.”
On Saturday, Gaza’s Government Media Office announced on Telegram that Israel had committed 47 violations of the ceasefire since it was announced. These breaches include direct shootings at civilians, deliberate bombardment, and arbitrary arrests of non-combatants. “These actions,” the statement said, “reflect the occupation’s ongoing aggression despite its public declaration to end the war.”
Hamas also denounced Israel’s refusal to reopen the Rafah crossing, calling it a “grave breach” of the ceasefire and a betrayal of commitments made to mediators and guarantors of the deal. The group urged those guarantors to act swiftly to pressure Israel to reopen Rafah and uphold all terms of the agreement.
The latest attacks come just days after US President Donald Trump announced that both Hamas and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire. The agreement’s first phase includes a prisoner exchange and the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid. The second phase, due to be negotiated this week, will address post-war governance in Gaza and the disarmament of Palestinian resistance groups.
On Sunday morning, the Israeli government confirmed receipt of the bodies of two hostages handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross on Saturday night under the ceasefire deal. Meanwhile, the US State Department claimed it had received credible intelligence that Hamas was planning an imminent attack on civilians in Gaza.
Talks to implement the second phase of the agreement—focused on political control of Gaza and disarmament of Hamas—are expected to continue this week.
