A fragile week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas faced its first major test on Sunday after Israel’s military conducted air and artillery strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza, following a shooting at Israeli soldiers.
Israel’s military (IDF) stated that the strikes were in response to Hamas militants firing at Israeli soldiers positioned within Israeli-controlled territory. The incident marks the first significant violation since the ceasefire began, raising concerns about its longevity.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent consultations with his security chiefs and ordered the military to take “strong action” against any ceasefire breaches. However, he stopped short of threatening a return to full-scale war. For its part, Hamas denied any connection to clashes reported in Rafah, in Southern Gaza.
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Hostage Remains Identified as Talks Begin
The retaliatory strikes came as negotiations to launch the second phase of ceasefire talks reportedly began, according to the Palestinian group. Simultaneously, Israel confirmed the identification of the remains of two hostages released overnight by Hamas.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed the bodies belonged to Ronen Engel, a father of three from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, a Thai agricultural worker from Kibbutz Be’eri. Both men are believed to have been killed during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel and their bodies subsequently taken to Gaza. Engel’s wife and two of his children were also kidnapped but were released during a November 2023 ceasefire.
The release of the remains is part of the ongoing negotiation over the fate of those killed and captured on October 7. In the past week, Hamas has returned 13 sets of remains, 12 of which have been identified as hostages. Israel stated that one of the bodies released did not belong to a hostage.
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Rafah Border Crossing Closure Threat
Amidst the tensions, Israel threatened to keep the Rafah border crossing—the vital passage between Gaza and Egypt—closed “until further notice.”
Netanyahu’s office indicated that the reopening of the crossing is contingent upon Hamas fulfilling its ceasefire obligation to return the remains of all 28 deceased hostages.
Palestinian Remains Released to Gaza
In a related development, Israel has released the bodies of 150 Palestinians back to Gaza, including 15 on Sunday, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government.
Israel has not identified the bodies or disclosed the causes of death. The Health Ministry, which has posted photos of dozens of decomposed and damaged bodies on its website in an effort to help families, said only 25 have been identified so far.
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