The Gaza ceasefire, already fragile, deteriorated further on Sunday as Israel conducted at least 20 airstrikes and imposed a complete blockade on aid entering the region. At the same time, Hamas denied allegations from the United States that it was planning to breach the tenuous agreement.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated in a statement that it had “now begun a wave of strikes” in southern Gaza “following a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement earlier today.” The IDF accused Hamas fighters of killing two Israeli soldiers and injuring three others in Rafah on Sunday morning.
Gaza authorities reported that at least 51 Palestinians, including many children, were killed across the territory on Sunday. Among the attacks were a double-tap drone and missile strike on a café west of Deir al-Balah, which killed five civilians; an airstrike on the al-Bureij refugee camp that claimed four lives; an attack on the Sardi school that resulted in four deaths among displaced civilians; artillery shelling on al-Zawaida Beach that killed six people; and the bombing of a building housing journalists in al-Zawaida, which left two civilians dead.
On Saturday, the U.S. State Department accused Hamas of planning an attack on Palestinian civilians in Gaza, calling it a “grave violation of the ceasefire.” The group has been engaged in conflict with Israeli-backed groups that oppose its control over the territory.
In response, Hamas issued a statement on Sunday condemning the U.S. accusations as “lies” that align with “misleading Israeli propaganda.” It claimed these claims serve to justify ongoing Israeli “crimes and organized aggression” against Palestinians. Hamas urged the U.S. to stop repeating what it called the “occupation’s misleading narrative” and instead focus on addressing Israeli violations of the ceasefire.
According to the Gaza Government Media Office, Israel has breached the nine-day ceasefire at least 48 times. These violations include attacks on residential areas and the killing of civilians who approached the so-called “yellow line,” where Israeli forces are supposed to have withdrawn under the truce.
Since the ceasefire began on October 10, dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombs and gunfire. On Friday, Israeli forces carried out a massacre, killing 11 members of a Palestinian family attempting to return to their home in Gaza City by bus.
In response to what it described as Hamas violations, Israel closed all crossing points into Gaza on Sunday, effectively halting the flow of humanitarian aid into the territory. Famine conditions persist in the area, a result of the siege imposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant—both of whom are fugitives from the International Criminal Court—as the war entered its second year.
Amjad Al-Shawwa, head of the Network of Civil Society Organizations in Gaza, warned that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, particularly pregnant women and children, are suffering from severe malnutrition. Hundreds of Gazans have died from malnutrition and related causes.
A senior Egyptian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Guardian that “round-the-clock” talks were underway to prevent the collapse of the ceasefire.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the renewed Israeli bombing, stating that “since the start of the ceasefire, the Netanyahu regime has been itching to fully restart the genocide in Gaza.” It described the bombings as a “blatant violation” of President Donald Trump’s ceasefire agreement and a resumption of the “genocide.” CAIR called on President Trump to rein in Israeli forces and halt the flow of American weapons and taxpayer funds to support Israel’s military operations.
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