IDF Resumes Ceasefire After Hamas Attack; Aid Transfer Temporarily Halted

The IDF resumed its ceasefire in Gaza Sunday night, following Hamas’s deadly attack on Israeli troops earlier in the day, which was met with a wave of fierce airstrikes targeting terrorists.

“In accordance with the directive of the political leadership and following a series of significant strikes, the IDF has resumed enforcement of the ceasefire after it was violated by the Hamas terrorist organization. The IDF will continue to uphold the terms of the ceasefire and will respond forcefully to any further violations of the agreement,” Channel 12’s Amit Segal reported.

According to the report, in consultations with Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and senior security officials, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided that Israel will respond “fiercely” to Hamas’s attack while maintaining the necessary momentum to secure the return of the remaining slain hostages from Gaza under the first phase of Washington’s ceasefire framework.

A security official told the network that “Israel does not want to bring about the collapse of the ceasefire… There is simply a straightforward equation of a violation and a response — and this will continue as long as Hamas keeps violating the agreement.”

The official warned that the area between the yellow line, to which the military withdrew under the terms of the ceasefire, and the Egyptian border remains “a hotspot for potential escalation.”

“It is ostensibly under Israeli control, but [in underground tunnels that remain operative] Hamas terrorists are hiding — trying to harass Israeli forces under cover of the ceasefire, even without explicit orders from their commanders,” the official added.

Meanwhile, an Israeli security official said the transfer of aid into the Gaza Strip has been halted “until further notice” following the morning’s deadly attack on Israeli soldiers, which prompted a wave of retaliatory airstrikes. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, pending a formal announcement, noting that the move comes just over a week after the start of the US-proposed ceasefire aimed at ending two years of war.

Axios cited a US official saying that Israel told Washington it will reopen aid crossings tomorrow morning, after Jerusalem did not inform the White House in advance of the decision to close them.

An Israeli official cited by several outlets said, “Due to the intensive bombings and dozens of casualties on the Hamas side, Israel halted truck movement today, which will resume once the bombings end.”

Another official told Kan news that “due to American pressure,” the political leadership has instructed that humanitarian aid enter Gaza tomorrow, saying that “official directives on the matter have not yet been updated, but this is the emerging direction.”