New Delhi, Oct 19: Israel has carried out air strikes in southern Gaza, accusing Hamas of “multiple attacks” against its forces in what it called a “bold violation of the ceasefire,” according to a report by the BBC. An Israeli military spokesman said the attacks occurred “beyond the yellow line”, the area from which Israeli troops have withdrawn under Phase One of the US-brokered ceasefire deal, part of President Donald Trump’s plan to end the two-year Gaza war.
Hamas denied the accusations, insisting it remains committed to the ceasefire and instead accused Israel of “repeated violations.” The ceasefire, in effect since 10 October, led to the release of all surviving Israeli hostages, as well as the return of bodies of the deceased. In exchange, Israel freed 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.
The latest Israeli strikes in Rafah came hours after the US State Department warned it had “credible reports” that Hamas was planning an “imminent attack on civilians in Gaza” — something Washington said would be a “direct and grave” breach of the ceasefire. The US said it had alerted other guarantors of the peace deal, including Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, and urged Hamas to uphold its commitments. “Should Hamas proceed with this attack, measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire,” the State Department said.
Hamas dismissed the warning as “false propaganda,” accusing Israel of arming rival groups inside Gaza to destabilize its rule. It has reportedly recalled about 7,000 security personnel to reassert control amid growing lawlessness and clashes with armed factions such as the Dughmush family and Abu Shabab’s Popular Forces.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) still control more than half of Gaza, having withdrawn to the “Yellow Line” under the Trump plan. Reports suggest criminal gangs have looted aid convoys in Israeli-held areas, operating with near impunity.
President Trump, in a recent post on Truth Social, warned: “If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them,” later clarifying that he would not send US troops into the region. Analysts warn that the renewed violence risks derailing the fragile truce, which had brought the first significant pause in the Gaza conflict in nearly two years.
