Israeli Strikes on Gaza Threaten Fragile Ceasefire

A drone captures the devastation in a Gaza City neighbourhood after Israeli forces withdrew, amid the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, 18 October 2025.

The Israeli military launched fresh attacks on Gaza on Saturday (19 October), according to local residents and reports from Israel, dealing a blow to hopes that a US-mediated ceasefire could bring lasting peace to the war-ravaged enclave as both sides traded blame for renewed hostilities.

The latest assault marks the most serious test of the fragile truce that came into effect on 11 October. Palestinians in Gaza said they heard explosions and gunfire in Rafah, in the southern part of the strip, while witnesses reported heavy shelling from Israeli tanks in the eastern town of Abassan near Khan Younis.

Residents in Khan Younis described waves of airstrikes hitting Rafah early in the afternoon. When asked for confirmation, an Israeli government spokesperson referred inquiries to the military, which offered no immediate comment.

Two killed in northern Gaza airstrike

Local health officials in Gaza said two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the eastern Jabalia area of northern Gaza.

Israeli sources said the airstrikes in Rafah followed attacks by militants targeting Israeli forces, though details remain unclear. An Israeli military official claimed Hamas fighters carried out multiple assaults against Israeli troops inside Gaza, including a rocket-propelled grenade and sniper attack.

“Both of the incidents happened in an Israeli-controlled area… This is a bold violation of the ceasefire,” the official said.

In response, senior Hamas official Izzat Al Risheq said the group remained committed to the ceasefire and accused Israel of repeated violations. Neither Al Risheq nor the Israeli military official commented directly on Saturday’s reported airstrikes.

The Gaza government media office said Friday (18 October) that Israel had committed 47 violations since the ceasefire agreement began, resulting in 38 deaths and 143 injuries. “These violations have included direct shooting at civilians, deliberate shelling, and arrests,” it stated.

Rafah crossing to remain closed

Israel and Hamas have accused each other for days of breaching the ceasefire. Israeli authorities announced that the Rafah border crossing with Egypt would remain closed until further notice. The crossing has largely been shut since May 2024.

The truce deal also called for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people have been affected by famine, according to the IPC global hunger monitor.

Israel and Hamas remain at odds over the return of the bodies of deceased hostages. Israel insists Hamas must hand over the remains of all 28 hostages, while Hamas says it has returned 20 hostages alive and 12 deceased, adding that recovering others buried under rubble requires special equipment and effort.

Despite international mediation efforts, major obstacles remain to ending the conflict. Questions about Hamas’s disarmament, Gaza’s governance, the composition of an international stabilisation force, and progress toward a Palestinian state are still unresolved.

Renewed fighting and growing uncertainty over the ceasefire pushed major share indices in Tel Aviv down nearly 2 percent on Saturday.