 "'Bold violation of ceasefire': IDF strikes Rafah after 'terrorists' fire on troops amid fragile Gaza truce")
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Sunday, October 19, said it launched strikes in the Rafah area of southern Gaza after terrorists fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire at Israeli troops.
“Earlier today, terrorists fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire toward IDF troops operating to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the Rafah area, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement,” the IDF said on X. “In response, the IDF has begun striking in the area to eliminate the threat and dismantle tunnel shafts and military structures used for terrorist activity. These terrorist actions constitute a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement, and the IDF will respond firmly.”
Israeli media and AFP reported that the strikes occurred in Rafah and other southern parts of Gaza, following an exchange of fire with Hamas fighters, including sniper and rocket-propelled grenade attacks. Qatar-run Al Jazeera said an IED explosion in Rafah injured Israeli soldiers.
The fighting comes amid a fragile US-mediated ceasefire, with both Israel and Hamas accusing each other of violations. Israel says its troops were targeted by RPGs and sniper fire, while Hamas accused Israel of breaching the truce. A senior Hamas official said, “Netanyahu’s attempts to evade his obligations come under pressure from his own extremist terrorist coalition, as he seeks to shirk responsibility toward the mediators and guarantors.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the war in Gaza would not end until Hamas is disarmed and the territory demilitarised. “When that is successfully completed — hopefully in an easy way, but if not, in a hard way — then the war will end,” he said on Israeli Channel 14 on Saturday.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsUnder the US-brokered ceasefire, Hamas has returned all 20 surviving hostages and the remains of 12 deceased. However, Israel has kept the Rafah border crossing with Egypt closed until the remaining bodies are handed over.
The US State Department said it informed countries involved in the peace deal about credible reports of a planned Hamas attack, calling it a “grave violation” of the ceasefire, which Hamas has denied.
Gaza’s civil defence agency, under Hamas authority, said it had recovered the bodies of nine Palestinians, including women and children, after Israeli tank fire struck a bus in Rafah.
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