The fragile Gaza ceasefire brokered earlier this month is hanging by a thread after Israeli airstrikes killed dozens across the strip on Sunday. Despite the bloodshed, U.S. President Donald Trump insists that the truce between Israel and Hamas remains in place, calling recent clashes “isolated violations” by rogue elements.
A Shaky Calm Under Fire
Israel carried out multiple strikes on Hamas positions in southern Gaza after accusing the militant group of breaking the nine-day-old ceasefire. The Israeli military said its forces were targeted in Rafah, prompting what it described as a “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire.”
The Gaza civil defence agency, operating under Hamas authorities, reported at least 45 deaths from the bombings. Four hospitals in Gaza later confirmed the toll to AFP, saying they received both the dead and wounded from various sites hit by the Israeli strikes.
President Trump, speaking briefly to reporters in Washington, maintained that the ceasefire “is still holding,” adding that while some attacks had occurred, “Hamas leadership wasn’t behind it — it was some rebels within.”
“We want to make sure that it’s very peaceful with Hamas,” Trump said. “It’s going to be handled toughly, but properly.”
Aid Halted as Death Toll Mounts
Following the violence, a senior Israeli security official confirmed to AFP that aid deliveries into Gaza were being suspended due to “security concerns.” The suspension marks yet another blow to Gaza’s already devastated humanitarian situation.
Israel has repeatedly cut off food, fuel, and medical supplies during the conflict — restrictions that international agencies say have pushed parts of the enclave to the brink of famine.
The United Nations warned last week that access to aid remains the deciding factor between life and death for thousands of displaced civilians still sheltering in makeshift camps across Gaza’s bombed-out neighborhoods.
Blood Returns to Gaza
In the city of Rafah, where the strikes were heaviest, residents described scenes of horror and confusion.
“The situation is as if the war has started again,” said Abdullah Abu Hasanin, 29, from Al-Bureij camp. “We had hoped the agreement would hold, but the occupation respects nothing — not an agreement, not anything.”
He said he had rushed to a bomb site to help pull survivors from the rubble. “The scene is indescribable,” he added. “Blood has returned again.”
Palestinian witnesses told AFP that Hamas fighters were battling a local gang known as Abu Shabab when Israeli tanks suddenly appeared, prompting airstrikes from Israeli jets and artillery.
Images from Bureij and Deir al-Balah showed terrified civilians running for cover and wounded children being carried into hospitals by relatives.
A Ceasefire Under Strain
The ceasefire, now just over a week old, was meant to halt more than two years of fighting and pave the way for hostage exchanges and a broader political roadmap for Gaza’s reconstruction.
Under the deal, Hamas agreed to release hostages, while Israel committed to returning the remains of Palestinians killed during the war. Yet, trust between both sides has already eroded.
On Sunday, the Israeli army reported that two of its soldiers were killed in Rafah during clashes it blamed on Hamas gunmen. Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed that Hamas would “pay a heavy price for every shot and every breach.”
Hamas, however, denied involvement. A senior Hamas official, Izzat al-Rishq, accused Israel of fabricating “flimsy pretexts” to justify resuming airstrikes. The group’s armed wing also said it had “no knowledge” of any firefights with Israeli troops in Rafah.
Bodies Returned Amid Grief
In keeping with the terms of the ceasefire, Israel on Sunday returned 15 bodies of Palestinians killed earlier in the war. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, this brings the total number of bodies handed over to 150.
At Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, grief hung heavy in the air as families waited to identify their loved ones inside refrigerated trucks.
“We were promised peace,” said Mohammed Zaghra’s wife, weeping beside his shrouded body. “But they keep returning the dead to us instead.”
Hamas officials said recovering the remaining bodies is taking time due to the extensive rubble left by earlier bombardments.
A Complex Peace Plan
The current truce was part of a 20-point plan drafted by Trump’s administration and endorsed by Israel and several Gulf states. The plan calls for the eventual disarmament of Hamas under a regional “security infrastructure” to be established by Arab partners.
Vice President J.D. Vance, speaking Sunday, urged those Gulf nations to accelerate the effort, calling it “the backbone of lasting peace.”
As part of the deal, Israel has reportedly withdrawn beyond the “Yellow Line,” retaining control over roughly half of Gaza — mainly its borders and buffer zones — but not the main population centers.
War’s Human Cost
The war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 assault on Israel, has claimed more than 68,000 lives in Gaza, according to local health authorities — figures the UN deems credible. More than half of those killed are women and children.
In Israel, Hamas’s attack left 1,221 people dead, mostly civilians, marking one of the bloodiest single days in the country’s history.
Ceasefire or Illusion?
While both sides publicly affirm commitment to the ceasefire, on the ground it increasingly feels like a “security illusion.” Each new strike, each denial, each delay in aid delivery chips away at the fragile trust that holds the agreement together.
Analysts warn that without accountability and rapid humanitarian relief, the truce could collapse entirely — plunging the region back into the full-scale war it only just escaped.
As one Gaza resident put it bluntly while standing amid the smoke of yet another strike:
“We don’t know what to call this anymore — peace or just another pause before the next attack.”
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