Israeli fighter jets hit Gaza with airstrikes after Hamas opened fire on IDF troops as ceasefire hangs in the balance
A FRAGILE ceasefire is hanging by a thread after Israel launched airstrikes on Gaza in response to what it called a “bold violation” of the truce by Hamas.
Fighting flared in southern Gaza’s Rafah area when Israeli troops came under fire from the terrorist group just days after a US-brokered peace deal was declared.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said “terrorists fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire toward IDF troops”, prompting air force fighter jets to strike back.
The military said the raids targeted “tunnel shafts and military structures used for terrorist activity” and vowed that “the IDF will respond firmly.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel “will retaliate forcefully” to the Hamas attack on its forces, signalling a hardline response as violence flared once again.
An Israeli military official said Hamas fighters launched “multiple attacks” beyond the yellow line marking Israeli military zones, calling it “a bold violation of the ceasefire.”
These included an RPG strike and sniper fire against Israeli forces.
Palestinians in Rafah told Reuters they heard explosions and heavy gunfire, while witnesses in Khan Younis reported a wave of airstrikes and Israeli tank fire near the town of Abassan.
Gaza health authorities said two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike in the Jabalia area.
The IDF said earlier that on Friday “several terrorists” opened fire on Israeli soldiers in Rafah — causing no injuries — and that troops had struck another group approaching them in Khan Younis.
The military warned it would “continue to operate to remove immediate threats.”
Hamas, for its part, is trying to claim it is sticking to the peace deal.
A senior official insisted the group is “committed to the ceasefire agreement,” without acknowledging the Israeli strikes or the attacks on troops.
The Hamas-run media office accused Israel of 47 ceasefire violations since the deal was signed, alleging that 38 people have been killed and 143 wounded.
It claimed violations included “direct shooting at civilians” and “deliberate shelling.”
Both sides are trading blame, but Israel insists it was Hamas that shattered the truce first.
It comes as the United States warned that Hamas is plotting an “imminent” attack on civilians in Gaza, in what it says would be a serious breach of the ceasefire deal.
The State Department said on Saturday it had “credible reports” that the terror group was preparing a fresh assault against Palestinians, describing it as a “direct and grave violation” of the US-brokered truce.
“Should Hamas proceed with this attack, measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire,” the department said.
The stark warning comes as evidence mounts that Hamas is refusing to abide by the peace agreement it signed last week — a deal that required it to disarm, release hostages and halt all attacks.
Instead, Hamas has continued executing Palestinians in public and is now accused of planning new violence against the very people it claims to represent.
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President Donald Trump, whose 20-point plan brought nearly two years of bloodshed to an end, issued a blunt threat: “If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them.”
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Trump’s 20-point peace plan
- 1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone
- 2. Gaza will be redeveloped
- 3. The war will immediately end
- 4. Within 72 hours, all hostages will be returned
- 5. Israel will release 250 dangerous prisoners plus 1700 Gazans detained after Oct 7th
- 6. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage
- 7. Full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip
- 8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference
- 9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee
- 10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created
- 11. A special economic zone will be established
- 12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza
- 13. Hamas agrees to not have any role in the governance of Gaza
- 14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas comply with obligations
- 15. The US will work to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza
- 16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza
- 17. If Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, Israel can proceed with invasion
- 18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established
- 19. Credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood can begin
- 20. The US will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians for peaceful and prosperous co-existence