Israel launched airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza and suspended all aid shipments on Sunday (October 19), accusing the militant group of violating a fragile ceasefire by staging a deadly ambush that killed two Israeli soldiers in Rafah.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the attack represented a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement,” prompting a large-scale retaliation against what it described as “Hamas terror targets.”
“We responded to a blatant violation of the ceasefire,” the army said, adding that six kilometers (3.7 miles) of underground tunnels were destroyed using more than 120 munitions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military “to take strong action against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip.”
Palestinian officials said at