Israel carried out airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Hamas fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire at troops dismantling infrastructure in Rafah under the terms of the ceasefire. The army said the incident occurred in an area under Israeli control and that it struck targets in response, describing the fire on its forces as “a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.” Palestinian officials reported intensive strikes east of Rafah and difficulties for ambulances reaching the area.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened Defense Minister Israel Katz and senior security officials and “instructed them to act forcefully against targets in the Gaza Strip,” his office said. No Palestinian faction immediately claimed responsibility.
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Hamas’ armed wing publicly denied involvement in Rafah. The Al-Qassam Brigades stated it “affirms its full commitment” to the truce and called Rafah a “red zone” where contact with remaining units has been cut off since fighting resumed there in March 2025. Senior Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq said, “Hamas affirms its full commitment to the ceasefire agreement and stresses that it is the Zionist occupation that continues to violate the agreement and fabricate flimsy pretexts to justify its crimes,” adding that “Netanyahu’s attempts to evade his commitments come under pressure from his extremist coalition.”
Elsewhere Sunday, Palestinian medical sources reported four people killed and five wounded in an airstrike on a café west of Deir al-Balah; the IDF did not immediately comment. Israel’s public broadcaster Kan said warplanes also struck Jabalia, killing two people who “attempted to cross the so-called Yellow Line.”
A ceasefire brokered by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the US took effect on Oct. 10. Provisions include prisoner and hostage exchanges, staged Israeli withdrawals, and expanded humanitarian access, though both sides accuse each other of violations.