The Israeli military said on Monday that a ceasefire in Gaza had been restored after a sudden deadly exchange that killed two Israeli soldiers and triggered a wave of airstrikes which Palestinians said left 26 people dead, including a woman and a child.
The incident marked the most serious test of the fragile truce brokered earlier this month. The renewed violence prompted international concern over the sustainability of the ceasefire.
Ceasefire remains in effect
Speaking aboard Air Force One, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the ceasefire remains in effect, despite the bloodshed.
“We think maybe the leadership isn’t involved in that,” Trump said, suggesting that the Hamas leadership might not have ordered the attacks.
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“Either way … it’s going to be handled toughly but properly,” he added, while admitting he was not yet certain whether Israel’s retaliatory strikes were justified.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Israel on Monday for further talks, officials confirmed.
Attack on Hamas positions
An Israeli security source said aid deliveries into Gaza would resume on Monday following U.S. pressure, hours after Israel had halted supplies in protest at what it called a “blatant” truce violation by Hamas.
The Israeli military said it had attacked Hamas positions across the Gaza Strip — including field commanders, tunnels, and weapons depots — after militants allegedly launched an anti-tank missile and fired on Israeli troops.
However, Hamas rejected any involvement, calling Israel’s claims “baseless propaganda” and asserting that its armed wing had remained committed to the ceasefire agreement.
Gaza officials: Civilian death toll rising
According to local residents and Gaza health authorities, the Israeli strikes killed at least 26 people and wounded many others. One of the strikes hit a former school in Nuseirat, which was being used to shelter displaced civilians.
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The Gaza Government Media Office said Israel had killed 97 Palestinians and wounded 230 since the start of the ceasefire, violating the truce over 80 times.
Hamas cells remain active
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said that Gaza still lacks a functioning security infrastructure, noting that “about 40 different Hamas cells” remain active.
“Some of those cells will probably honour the ceasefire. Many of those cells, as we saw some evidence of today, will not,” he said. Vance suggested that international peacekeepers or Gulf Arab forces may be needed to maintain law and order on the ground.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the military response, saying he had ordered the army to act “forcefully” against what he described as Hamas’ ceasefire violations.
Meanwhile, reports in U.S. media quoted Trump administration officials suggesting that the deaths of the two Israeli soldiers might have been caused by unexploded ordnance accidentally triggered by an Israeli bulldozer, rather than Hamas fire.
Expert opinion: Will Gaza ever achieve peace?
Despite all national and international efforts to achieve peace in Gaza, there are still uncertainties about the future of Palestine. Multiple factors are making it difficult to achieve lasting peace in Gaza, including:
- Ingrained distrust
- Competing claims
- External influences
- Internal divisions
The relationship between Israel and Palestine is very complex and marked by ingrained distrust. That’s why it’s very difficult for both sides to find a common ground.
Since both Israel and Palestine claim ownership of the land, any one-sided decision won’t be acceptable to both states.
Apart from the external influences, the Palestinian leaders are also divided, with different factions having different visions for the future of Gaza and the West Bank.
The Gaza will only see peace through the shared interests of both the states and impartial international intervention to reach a decision by consensus. By finding common ground and mutual interests, both Israelis and Palestinians can work towards a peaceful resolution.
