The Israeli military announced on Sunday, October 19, that a ceasefire in Gaza had resumed following a severe escalation that tested the month-old, U.S.-brokered truce. The violence began with an attack that killed two Israeli soldiers, prompting a wave of retaliatory Israeli airstrikes that killed 26 people in Gaza.
Aid shipments into the enclave are set to resume on Monday following U.S. pressure, an Israeli security source confirmed. This comes shortly after Israel had halted the supplies, citing a “blatant” violation of the truce by Hamas.
The Israeli strikes hit Hamas targets across the enclave, including field commanders, a tunnel, and weapons depots. At least one strike reportedly hit a former school sheltering displaced people in the Nuseirat area. Local residents and health authorities confirmed the strikes killed at least 26 people, including at least one woman and one child.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are expected to travel to Israel on Monday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to respond forcefully to what he described as Hamas’ violations of the ceasefire. The armed wing of Hamas stated it remained committed to the ceasefire agreement and was unaware of the clashes reported in Rafah.
Fearing the truce’s collapse, some Palestinians rushed to market while families fled their homes in Khan Younis after nearby airstrikes.
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the “yellow line” marking the pullback zone for Israeli forces would be physically marked, and any attempt to cross it would be met with fire. Hamas, in turn, detailed what it said was a series of Israeli violations that have led to 46 deaths and halted essential supplies.
A key point of contention remains the return of the bodies of deceased Israeli hostages. Israel says Hamas is being too slow in handing over the bodies of the remaining deceased captives. Hamas, which released all 20 living hostages last week and has since handed over 12 of the 28 deceased captives, maintains that special equipment is needed to recover corpses buried under rubble.
The Rafah border crossing, which has largely been shut since May 2024, will remain closed, with its reopening dependent on Hamas fulfilling its obligations under the ceasefire. Although the flow of aid through another crossing had increased, the United Nations emphasizes that far more aid is needed to address the severe hunger affecting hundreds of thousands in Gaza.
Formidable obstacles remain in the way of a durable peace, including unresolved key questions surrounding Hamas disarming, the future governance of Gaza, the make-up of an international “stabilization force,” and any progress toward the creation of a Palestinian state.
