By Admin 
The fragile ceasefire in Gaza came to the brink of collapse on Sunday, when Hamas fighters attacked Israeli soldiers in Rafah. In response, the Israeli Army (IDF) carried out air strikes in the area. After this latest confrontation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called an emergency security meeting with the Defense Minister and the Army Chief. Israel has described this incident as a serious violation of the ceasefire.
attacks in rafah
According to Israeli media reports, on Sunday morning Hamas fighters fired anti-tank missiles at Israeli engineering vehicles near Rafah. After this the IDF carried out air strikes targeting Hamas positions. Reports also said that an IED blast occurred in which several soldiers were injured. According to ‘The Times of Israel’, ‘terrorist attackers’ came out of a tunnel in southern Gaza and started firing at Israeli soldiers, after which the IDF retaliated. This is the second major attack in Rafah area in a few days.
Political pressure increased further
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has demanded from Netanyahu to ‘resume the fight with full force’ and ‘completely eliminate Hamas’. Meanwhile, 42-year-old Majid Mohammad Daoud was shot dead by Israeli forces during a raid in the West Bank city of Nablus. The US State Department had earlier warned that it had received credible information of ‘a possible attack by Hamas’, which the US described as a serious violation of the ceasefire. Hamas has called these allegations ‘Israeli lies’.
Hostage bodies exchanged, borders closed
Amid the clashes, Hamas handed over the bodies of two hostages to Israel late Saturday night, taking the total number to 12. In response, Israel announced the indefinite closure of the Rafah border crossing, saying Hamas was delaying cooperation. This crossing has been closed since May 2024, when Israel took control of the Gaza side. Because of this, thousands of people are not able to travel due to treatment or family reasons.
Humanitarian crisis deepens, Gaza becomes ‘wasteland’
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 68,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, while thousands are still missing. Israel returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians on Saturday, bringing the total to 135. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher described Gaza as ‘a wasteland’ and said the flow of aid had fallen far short of the 600 trucks scheduled under the ceasefire. Hamas alleges that Israel continued attacks despite the ceasefire, in which at least 38 Palestinians have been killed so far.