Ceasefire on a Knife’s Edge as Israel Strikes After Rafah Attack
Keren Setton traces a day when a fragile truce snapped: After the Israel Defense Forces said Hamas gunmen fired an anti-tank missile and small arms near Rafah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “immediate and powerful strikes” across Gaza. The escalation collided with a separate crisis over a casket transferred via the International Committee of the Red Cross that, Israeli officials say, contained additional remains of Ofir Tzarfati—already buried months ago—rather than one of the 13 bodies Hamas is obligated to return. Families called it manipulation; Hamas then postponed a planned handover, blaming “Israeli violations.”
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The confrontation unfolded as President Donald Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum expired, sharpening questions about whether the ceasefire can survive repeated breaches and missed deadlines. Analysts quoted by Setton argue Hamas is playing for time: Kobi Michael says the group aims to reestablish control and exhaust both Israel and the American president; Shaul Bartal calls Hamas “at one of its weakest points,” yet intent on rearming and ruling by fear, including public executions of rivals. Israeli officials floated steps short of total war—extending operational control zones, targeted raids, tighter supervision of aid, and intensified missions to recover remains—while warning that attacks on troops and delays on handovers will carry costs.
Setton closes on the broader stakes: the truce’s first phase is the test that unlocks everything that follows—hostage releases, documented remains, disarmament, and removing Hamas from power. With each exchange of fire and deferred transfer, that sequence drifts further out of reach. Read Setton’s full report for the granular timeline, the competing claims over the remains, and why Jerusalem is weighing tougher measures even as Washington tries to keep the larger regional track on course.
