The Israeli military launched air and artillery strikes on Hamas targets. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the military to act firmly against any future ceasefire violations.
Israel has reinstated a ceasefire in Gaza and announced that the delivery of humanitarian aid will resume from Monday. The development comes after Israel temporarily halted aid shipments following what it described as a ceasefire violation by Hamas militants, who allegedly opened fire on Israeli soldiers. In response, the Israeli military carried out targeted attacks in parts of Gaza.
Israeli military strikes in response to fire
On Sunday, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) launched a series of air and artillery strikes on several Hamas targets in Gaza. The IDF confirmed the attacks were in retaliation for gunfire directed at Israeli troops. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with top security officials and instructed the military to respond firmly to any further ceasefire violations.
Awaiting return of hostage remains
Netanyahuโs office released a statement noting that Israel is closely watching how Hamas fulfils its ceasefire obligation to return the remains of 28 deceased hostages. So far, Hamas has returned 13 bodies, 12 of which have been identified as Israeli hostages. However, one body was not that of a hostage, according to Israeli officials. Hamas has claimed it needs specialised equipment to locate additional remains, but Israel suspects the group holds more bodies than it has admitted.
Hamas begins talks on ceasefire’s second phase
Meanwhile, Hamas has confirmed that negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire have begun with international mediators. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem stated that any further agreements will require national consensus. He added that Hamas is engaging in talks to strengthen its position, but did not provide further details. Notably, Qassem said that Hamas will not be part of the governing authority in Gaza once the war ends.