Netanyahu orders ‘strong action’ against militant targets in Gaza over ceasefire violation, Hamas denies accusations
&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Netanyahu orders ‘strong action’ against militant targets in Gaza over ceasefire violation, Hamas denies accusations")
A dispilaced Palestinian boy carries a box of emergency supplies provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) after receiving it from an aid distribution point at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, on October 19, 2025. Photograph: (AFP)
Hamas’ armed wing denied the Israeli accusations by reaffirming its commitment to the ceasefire agreement, adding that it was unaware of the recent clashes in Rafah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday (Oct 19) ordered the country’s security forces to take “strong action” against militant targets in the Gaza Strip. He also accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire, following which the Israeli military launched strikes in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Meanwhile, the Palestinian militant group said in a statement that it was unaware of any clashes in Rafah and was adhering to the ceasefire, which was brokered by US President Donald Trump.
“Following a ceasefire violation by Hamas, Prime Minister Netanyahu held consultations with the defence minister and senior security officials and instructed to take strong action against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
Hamas’ armed wing responded to the Israeli accusations by saying, “We reaffirm our full commitment to implement everything that was agreed upon, foremost of which is a ceasefire across all areas of the Gaza Strip.”
The statement released by the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades added that they had “no knowledge of any incidents or clashes taking place in the Rafah area, as these are red zones under the occupation's control, and contact with the remaining groups of ours there has been cut off since the war resumed in March of this year.”
