Israel Launches Airstrikes in Rafah, Southern Gaza Amid Fragile Ceasefire

According to Israeli media reports, the Israeli military conducted more airstrikes on Rafah and other areas of southern Gaza on Sunday, which cast doubt on the viability of the recently negotiated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The attacks were in aftermath of what Israel termed as an exchange of fire with Hamas fighters.

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Hostilities and military retaliation were renewed

Channel 12, an Israeli based broadcaster, reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu organized a telephone conference with Defence Minister Israel Katz and army leaders to deliberate on the situation which was on the rise. Israeli public broadcaster reported that the airstrike was a retaliation to Hamas members who had fired at Israeli troops in Rafah.

On Friday Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) reported that several terrorists had opened fire on soldiers in the area but had no injuries. Later on that day, the military reported that it had attacked another group of terrorists who were approaching the Israeli positions in Khan Younis. The IDF reported that it would still stay in Gaza to eliminate acute threats.

Gaza civil defence agency, under Hamas government, stated on Saturday that they retrieved the bodies of nine Palestinians, two of them men, three women and four children after Israeli forces fired two tank shots at a bus.

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The strikes came with both parties accusing one another of the violation of the ceasefire agreement. The peace agreement that was brokered by the United States demanded that Hamas should give back all the 20 surviving hostages and the bodies of 12 dead.

According to the conditions of the deal, Hamas was supposed to deliver all the hostages alive and dead by Monday 0900 GMT. Nevertheless, Hamas has argued that it will take a longer time and technical assistance to retrieve the rest of the bodies under rubble in Gaza.

On Israeli Channel 14, PM Netanyahu again clarified that the campaign by Israel in Gaza did not end until the complete disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarisation of the enclave. “When that is successfully completed, hopefully in an easy way, but if not, in a hard way, then the war will end,” he said.

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