‘Blatant violation of ceasefire’: Israel launches fresh strikes against Hamas in southern Gaza
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Blatant violation of ceasefire’: Israel launches fresh strikes against Hamas in southern Gaza")
Smoke billows following an Israeli strike in the central Gaza Strip on October 19, 2025. Photograph: (AFP)
The Israeli military on Sunday (Oct 19) said that it launched fresh strikes against Hamas targets in southern Gaza in response to the ceasefire violations by the Palestinian militant group earlier today.
The Israeli military on Sunday (Oct 19) said that it launched fresh strikes against Hamas targets in southern Gaza in response to the ceasefire violations by the Palestinian militant group earlier today. Shortly before, an Israeli military official warned of more strikes after the army struck the southern Gaza city of Rafah and the northern town of Beit Lahia in strikes earlier in the day. Israel has accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire, which was brokered by US President Donald Trump.
“In response to the blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement earlier today, the IDF (military) has begun a series of strikes against Hamas terror targets in the southern Gaza Strip,” the military said in a statement.
The fresh strikes marked the second since the ceasefire took effect in Gaza nine days ago. Following the first wave of attack on Sunday morning, the Israeli military said that they were launched in retaliation for at least three attacks by Hamas on its forces.
Meanwhile, Hamas has denied the accusations of breaching the ceasefire, saying that it was adhering to the truce and Israel was devising “flimsy pretexts” to resume the war.
‘Hamas will pay a heavy price’
Earlier, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Hamas against violating the ceasefire in Gaza. “Hamas will pay a heavy price for every shot and every breach of the ceasefire,” he said in a statement. “If the message is not understood, our response will become increasingly severe.”
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he met with Katz and the heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad security agencies, following which he “directed that strong action be taken against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip”.
Gaza’s civil defence agency said that at least 15 people were killed following the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas. Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the agency, claimed that six of the victims were killed when an Israeli strike targeted a “group of civilians” in Zuwaida town in central Gaza. However, Israel has said that it was targeting Hamas militant sites.
The recent trade of hostilities in Gaza came after a hostage-prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas under Trump’s first phase of the Gaza peace deal. Under the agreement, all 20 living hostages and 12 bodies out of the 28 dead hostages were released by Hamas. In exchange, Israel has returned thousands of Palestinian prisoners and Gazans.
