Israel launches airstrikes on Gaza after accusing Hamas of ceasefire violation

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strikes targeted weapons storage facilities, firing posts, militant cells and other Hamas infrastructure.

“In addition, the IDF struck and dismantled approximately six kilometres of underground terrorist infrastructure used to advance attacks against Israel, using over 120 munitions,” the military said.

In a statement on X, the IDF said: “In response to the blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement earlier today, the IDF has begun a series of strikes against Hamas terror targets in southern Gaza.”

Earlier, the IDF said Hamas militants fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire toward Israeli troops operating to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the Rafah area as part of the ceasefire deal.

“These terrorist actions constitute a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement, and the IDF will respond firmly,” it said.

Following the escalation, Israel announced the suspension of humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza “until further notice.”

“In accordance with the directive of the political echelon, the transfer of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip has been halted following Hamas’s blatant violation of the agreement,” an Israeli official told BBC.

Hamas, however, accused Israel of breaching the truce, according to media reports.

The United Nations said in August that more than half a million people in Gaza are facing famine, with widespread starvation, destitution and preventable deaths.

A UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report warned that famine conditions could spread from Gaza City to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis in the coming weeks.

The fragile ceasefire, part of a US-brokered initiative to end the Gaza war, came into effect on October 10.

Under the first phase of the deal, Hamas released 20 Israeli hostages, while Israel freed 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 Gaza detainees, and returned 15 bodies of Palestinians for each deceased Israeli hostage, BBC reported.

The conflict began after Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel responded with a military offensive in Gaza.