Daijiworld Media Network – Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Oct 20: Israel launched fresh air strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza and suspended all aid shipments on Sunday after blaming the group for a deadly ambush that killed two Israeli soldiers in Rafah.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Hamas had committed a “blatant violation” of the week-old ceasefire, prompting strikes on dozens of “terror targets” including weapons depots, firing posts, and underground tunnels spanning six kilometres. Over 120 munitions were used in the operation, according to officials.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “strong action” in response, as air strikes hit areas as far north as Gaza City. Palestinian sources reported at least five deaths, while residents in designated “combat zones” were told to evacuate westward.
Israel’s decision to suspend aid into Gaza “until further notice,” reported by the Associated Press, has drawn concern amid fears of worsening humanitarian conditions. The Rafah terminal on the Gaza-Egypt border also remains closed indefinitely.
The renewed violence has cast uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s US-brokered ceasefire deal signed on October 10. The agreement had called for Hamas to disarm and transfer governance to a foreign-supervised Palestinian authority. Vice President JD Vance and envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are expected in the region this week to salvage the truce.
Hamas, however, denied breaching the ceasefire, claiming it had lost contact with the fighters involved. “Israel continues to violate the agreement and fabricate pretexts to justify its crimes,” Hamas official Ezzat Al-Risheq said.
Trump, who has directly engaged with Hamas despite its terrorist designation, recently warned of “severe consequences” if internal violence within the group persists. His peace plan, supported by several Arab and Western powers, envisions a multinational stabilization force in post-war Gaza.
After two years of conflict that claimed over 67,000 Palestinian and 1,400 Israeli lives, both sides appear wary of reigniting a full-scale war — but Israel has warned that combat will resume if Hamas fails to surrender its arms once all hostages are recovered.