JNS
"This war isn't over," a military official warned, as Hamas violations mounted following a deadly attack on IDF soldiers in southern Gaza on Sunday.
The Gaza ceasefire agreement faced its most deadly challenge yet on Sunday following an unprovoked attack by Hamas in southern Gaza that killed two IDF personnel—a company commander and a soldier from the Nahal Infantry Brigade—and severely wounded a third soldier. Hamas conducted at least two other attacks on Sunday as well.
A military official, speaking to reporters on Sunday, stated that some of the IDF personnel targeted in the attacks were working on dismantling tunnel infrastructure on the Israeli side of the yellow line, in which Israel maintains control of 53% of the Gaza Strip.
In the immediate response to the Hamas attack, the IDF struck tunnel shafts in the area, suspecting that terrorists involved in the attacks may have come out of nearby tunnels, the military said.
The Hamas terrorists attacked IDF forces operating near the yellow line in the Rafah area of the southern Gaza Strip, firing RPGs and sniper fire at soldiers from the Nahal Brigade's 932nd Battalion, who were engaged in destroying terror infrastructure, an activity explicitly permitted under the ceasefire agreement.
The attack resulted in the deaths of Major Yaniv Kula, 26, a company commander and Staff Sergeant Itay Yavetz, 21, both from Modi'in-Maccabim-Reut.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency security consultation and ordered the IDF to act forcefully against terror targets in the Strip.
The IDF went on to attack dozens of terror targets, including weapons storage sites, military infrastructure and terrorist cells. In one of the most significant strikes, the IDF struck several kilometers of an underground terrorist tunnel, using over 120 munitions on that target alone.
A military official confirmed later on Sunday that Hamas had previously used some of the underground infrastructure hit to hold hostages.
The official added that in southern Gaza, more than 15 terrorist targets were struck, while in central Gaza, a terrorist cell and field-level commanders were hit. Palestinian sources reported that at least 36 Gazans were killed in the strikes, including Yahya al-Mabhouh, a Nukhba company commander in Hamas's North Gaza Brigade.
“Hamas has repeatedly and blatantly violated its terms," the source said, while "escalating its brutality against the Gazans, exploiting the humanitarian measures, refusing to disarm, continuing to hold 16 of our hostages' bodies despite the agreement clearly stating that all hostages should be returned within 72 hours."
The official detailed string of recent Hamas attacks, including “violating the yellow line, which is agreed upon, multiple times today, multiple attacks today, at least three incidents in which Hamas fired towards our troops standing behind the yellow line in the agreed-upon positions.”
According to the official, "This war isn't over. It can't be over until all hostages are home. And our mission is not complete until all hostages are home.”
Noting the sacrifice of the 468 IDF soldiers killed in battle to achieve this, he added, “Over the past few days, we have been seeing videos that prove once again Hamas's brutality now being inflicted upon Gazan civilians. Videos have been circulating of Hamas hunting down and publicly executing Gazans in broad daylight. Even in the wake of the ceasefire, Hamas continues to terrorize its own people and refuses to disarm.”
The deadly escalation triggered intense American pressure to restore the ceasefire. U.S. President Donald Trump attributed the attack to "rogue elements," a view not echoed by any assessments shared by the Israeli military official. Trump added that the escalation would be handled "toughly, but properly."
Following retaliatory strikes, the IDF announced it would, in compliance with government directives, resume enforcement of the ceasefire.
An Israeli official reportedly stated that humanitarian aid, which had been halted, would resume entering Gaza on Monday, though the Rafah crossing would remain closed until Hamas complies with the return of hostage bodies, according to multiple Hebrew-language media reports.
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who serve in an advisory role and arrived in Israel on Monday, were expected to discuss the move to "Phase B" of the Trump plan with Israeli leaders.
Despite the diplomatic push, Hamas violations continued into Monday. On Monday morning, the IDF identified several terrorists who crossed the yellow line and approached IDF troops in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, posing an immediate threat. The troops fired toward the terrorists to remove the threat, the military said.
This was followed by a sharp warning from Defense Minister Israel Katz, instructing the IDF to deliver a clear message to Hamas leaders via the U.S. oversight mechanism.
“Every Hamas terrorist who is found beyond the yellow line in the territory under Israeli control must evacuate immediately. The heads of Hamas will bear responsibility for any incident. Anyone who remains in the area will serve as a target for attack without any further warning, in order to allow the IDF to immediately operate freely and without any threat. The protection of IDF soldiers is the top priority,” said Katz.
