Photo source: idf.il
Israel Strikes Gaza After Ceasefire Violation Claims
Truce Under Strain: IDF, Hamas Trade Blame in Gaza
Tel Aviv/Gaza: The sun had barely risen over the Gaza Strip when the fragile ceasefire brokered on October 10, 2025, began to unravel. In Tel Aviv, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a stark statement: Hamas had committed a “blatant violation” of the truce that morning. By 10:12 PM (IST) on October 19, 2025, the IDF announced it had struck dozens of Hamas terror targets across Gaza, targeting weapons storage facilities, firing posts, terrorist cells, and additional Hamas terror infrastructure. The operation was massive, with the IDF striking and dismantling nearly six kilometres of underground terrorist infrastructure used to advance attacks against Israel, employing over 120 munitions. In Rafah and Khan Younis, the epicentres of the operation, plumes of smoke rose, marking the gravest challenge yet to the delicate peace.
The roots of this escalation traced back to southern Gaza, where two Israeli soldiers lost their lives in attacks the IDF attributed to Hamas. Israeli officials described their response as “proportionate and necessary,” a defensive measure to prevent further aggression. Yet, in Gaza, the narrative was starkly different. Local health authorities reported a grim toll: at least 18 lives lost, including one woman, with several others wounded in the strikes. Gaza’s media outlets accused Israel of repeatedly breaching the ceasefire, pointing to a tally of 47 violations since October 10, which they claimed had already claimed 38 Palestinian lives and left 143 injured.
The ceasefire, a hard-won agreement after weeks of U.S.-led diplomacy, was meant to bring respite to a region battered by conflict. But the trust between the two sides, already paper-thin, frayed further as accusations flew. Israel pointed to Hamas’s alleged anti-tank fire and gun attacks near Rafah as the spark for the day’s violence. Hamas, however, denied involvement, insisting it had lost communication with its fighters in the Israeli-controlled area. The truth remained elusive, buried in the chaos of conflicting claims.
As the airstrikes continued, Israel delivered another blow: the suspension of humanitarian aid to Gaza “until further notice,” citing security concerns. The decision sent shockwaves through aid agencies, who warned of catastrophic shortages of food, water, and medical supplies in an enclave already on the brink. The streets of Gaza, already scarred by war, faced the spectre of deeper suffering as the flow of essentials ground to a halt.
Across the border, tensions simmered in diplomatic circles. The U.S. Department of State, a key mediator in the truce, issued a troubling statement, citing “credible reports” that Hamas might be planning attacks on Palestinian civilians—an act that would itself shatter the ceasefire’s terms. In Washington, officials watched closely, aware that the violence threatened to unravel weeks of painstaking negotiations. The international community, including mediators from Qatar and Egypt, scrambled to salvage the truce, but the path forward grew murkier by the hour.
By late Sunday, October 19, 2025, neither side had formally declared the ceasefire nullified, yet the region teetered on the edge of collapse. Just before midnight, at 11:51 PM (IST), the IDF signalled a shift. In accordance with the directive of the political echelon, and following a series of significant strikes in response to Hamas’ violations, the IDF announced it had begun the renewed enforcement of the ceasefire, in line with the terms of the agreement. The IDF vowed to continue upholding the ceasefire agreement and respond firmly to any violation of it. The scale of Israel’s military response, coupled with the aid suspension, painted a grim picture of a truce hanging by a thread. In Gaza, the wail of sirens and the cries of the wounded mingled with the outrage of a population caught in the crossfire. In Tel Aviv, military strategists weighed their next moves, while Hamas leaders in Gaza grappled with their own fractured command.
As night fell, the air was thick with uncertainty. Both sides traded blame, each clinging to their version of events, while the people of Gaza bore the brunt of the fallout. The ceasefire, once a flicker of hope, now flickered on the verge of extinction, leaving the world to wonder whether peace could hold—or if the cycle of violence would reclaim the region once more.
– global bihari bureau
