Journalism of Courage
Israel carried out air and artillery strikes in Gaza on Sunday after its military said Hamas militants opened fire on Israeli troops inside areas still under its control. The incident marked the first major test of the ceasefire agreed just over a week ago.
The Israeli army said in a statement that its forces “responded to fire from Hamas militants” near Rafah in southern Gaza. No injuries were reported.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met security officials and instructed the army to take “strong action” against ceasefire violations, but said Israel was not seeking to resume full-scale war.
Hamas denied any role in the exchange of fire, saying its fighters were not involved in clashes near Rafah.
The strikes came shortly after Israeli authorities identified the bodies of two hostages returned by Hamas overnight.
Netanyahu’s office said the remains belonged to Ronen Engel, a father of three from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, a Thai agricultural worker. Both were killed during the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023 and taken to Gaza. Engel’s wife and two of his children were released during a ceasefire deal in November 2023.
Israel said the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt will remain closed “until further notice.” The prime minister’s office said reopening the crossing depends on Hamas returning the remains of all 28 hostages believed to be dead.
Hamas has so far returned the remains of 13 bodies, while Israel has handed over 150 Palestinian bodies, including 15 on Sunday, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Many of the Palestinian bodies were decomposed and difficult to identify, the ministry said.
Hamas said negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire plan proposed by US President Donald Trump have begun. The next stages are expected to focus on disarming Hamas, Israeli withdrawal from more parts of Gaza, and the future governance of the territory.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Kassem said the group was discussing how to “solidify its positions” and called for an administrative committee made up of Palestinian technocrats to manage Gaza until a broader agreement is reached.
Hamas dismissed US claims that it was planning an attack against civilians in Gaza. “These are false allegations,” the group said, accusing Israel of backing armed gangs operating in areas it controls. The US State Department had warned Saturday of “credible reports” of a planned attack that could violate the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Hamas-led security forces clashed with armed groups accused of looting and collaborating with Israel. The Interior Ministry in Gaza said it was working to restore order in areas vacated by Israeli forces.
The Israel-Hamas war, which began after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel in October 2023, has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government. Around 1,200 people were killed in Israel, mostly civilians, and 251 were abducted.
The ministry’s death toll is considered broadly reliable by UN agencies and independent observers, though Israel disputes the figures.
(With inputs from agencies)
