Israel Launches Airstrikes In Southern Gaza, Accuses Hamas Of 'Blatant Violation' Of Ceasefire

Last Updated:October 19, 2025, 17:14 IST

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was apprised of the situation by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz.

A drone view shows the destruction in a residential neighbourhood, following the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the area, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Gaza City. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

The Israeli military on Sunday carried out attacks in Rafah and elsewhere in southern Gaza, according to Israeli news media outlets. Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 said that a phone call on the situation was taking place between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz and members of the army.

Israel’s public broadcaster said the strike followed an “exchange of fire" with Hamas members. Qatar-run broadcaster Al Jazeera reported that an IED was detonated in Rafah and that led to injuries among Israeli soldiers.

The broadcaster said that this is due to the “presence of an armed militia that was working with the Israeli army during the war". News18 could not independently verify the claims.

A separate report by AFP said that the fighting erupted in part of the southern city of Rafah still under Israeli control, followed by two air strikes. An Israeli official told the news agency that Hamas fighters had attacked Israeli forces with sniper fire and a rocket-propelled grenade.

Accusing Hamas of “blatant violation" of the ceasefire, Israel said that its troops were attacked by RPG and sniper.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintains that war in Gaza will not be over until Hamas disarms and the Palestinian territory is demilitarised.

“When that is successfully completed — hopefully in an easy way, but if not, in a hard way — then the war will end," he said in an appearance on Israeli Channel 14 on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire. A senior Hamas official said, “Netanyahu’s attempts to evade his obligations come under pressure from his own extremist terrorist coalition, as he seeks to shirk responsibility toward the mediators and guarantors."

Gaza’s civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas authority, said on Saturday that it had recovered the bodies of nine Palestinians, two men, three women and four children, after Israeli troops fired two tank shells at a bus.

The Israeli military said on Friday that “several terrorists" opened fire on soldiers in the Rafah area, causing no injuries. The military later said it struck another group of “terrorists" that were approaching troops in Khan Younis on the same day. The military would continue to operate to remove immediate threats, it said.

The Israeli government and Hamas have been accusing each other of violations of the ceasefire for days

Under a US-brokered ceasefire agreement, Hamas has returned all 20 surviving hostages and the remains of 12 deceased ones.

Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas was to hand over all of the hostages, dead and alive, before Monday at 0900 GMT.

Hamas has said it needs time and technical assistance to recover the remaining bodies from under Gaza’s rubble.

News world Israel Launches Airstrikes In Southern Gaza, Accuses Hamas Of 'Blatant Violation' Of Ceasefire

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