IDF: Truce resumes in Gaza after Hamas kills Israeli troops

Israel on Sunday night reaffirmed its commitment to the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, which had been threatened after a series of Hamas attacks on Israeli forces sparked military retaliation.

“In accordance with the directive of the political echelon, and following a series of significant strikes in response to Hamas’ violations, the [Israel Defense Forces] has begun the renewed enforcement of the ceasefire,” said the Israeli military.

“The IDF will continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement and will respond firmly to any violation,” the statement added.

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday evening that the incident would be handled “toughly but properly” and that the truce in the Strip remained in effect.

Trump says maybe “some rebels within” Hamas launched the attacks on Israeli forces

“We’re gonna have to see what’s happening,” the president said, asked about Israel’s retaliatory strikes. “We wanna make sure that it’s gonna be very peaceful with Hamas, and as you know, they’ve been quite rambunctious, they’ve been doing some shooting,” he added.

However, Trump told reporters that it was possible the terrorist group’s leadership “isn’t involved in that,” suggesting that “some rebels within” launched the attacks on Israeli forces.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, speaking with journalists on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday night, claimed that “when we talk about Hamas, you’re talking about 40 different cells; it’s disjointed.

Vance: some cells of Hamas "will probably honor the ceasefire"

“Some of those cells will probably honor the ceasefire. Many of those cells, as we saw some evidence of today, will not,” Vance continued.

“Before we can actually ensure that Hamas is properly disarmed, that’s gonna require, as we know, some of these Gulf Arab states to get forces in there to actually apply some law and order,” he added, stressing that this security infrastructure will be put in place when “you actually go a little bit down the path” of Trump’s 20-point peace deal for the Strip.

Hamas terrorists attacked IDF soldiers in southern Gaza on Sunday, triggering retaliatory airstrikes and high-level political deliberations in Jerusalem as the ceasefire deteriorated.

Two IDF soldiers were killed in the attack

An IDF source told Reuters that Hamas carried out several attacks on Israeli soldiers beyond the Yellow Line—the boundary to which the military withdrew under the Trump administration’s peace plan.

“Earlier today, terrorists fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire toward IDF troops operating to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the Rafah area, in southern Gaza, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement,” the military said in an official statement.

Two soldiers were killed in the attack: Maj. Yaniv Kula, 26, and Staff Sgt. Itay Yavetz, 21, both of the Nahal Brigade and residents of Modi’in.

“In response, the IDF has begun striking in the area to eliminate the threat and dismantle tunnel shafts and military structures used for terrorist activity,” Sunday’s military statement added.

Israel reopen all crossings to Gaza

While Jerusalem initially decided to close all crossings to Gaza and halt the delivery of humanitarian aid as outline in the truce, the move was reversed following pressure from Washington, U.S. news outlet Axios and Israel’s Channel 12 News reported on Monday morning.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the Otzma Yehudit Party, had called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to “fully resume combat in the Gaza Strip with maximum force” in response to the truce violation.

“The false illusions that Hamas will change its ways, or even adhere to the agreement it signed, are proving, as expected, to be dangerous to our security. The Nazi terrorist organization must be completely destroyed—and the sooner, the better,” said Ben-Gvir.

Bezalel Smotrich: "War"

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who heads the Religious Zionism Party, responded with one word, tweeting Sunday afternoon: “War.”

Under the ceasefire deal, Hamas was required to return all 28 hostage bodies it held by Oct. 13. So far, it has transferred to Israel only 12. The Palestinian terrorist organization is also refusing to disarm and intends to remain the ruling party in Gaza during an interim period, both in violation of Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan unveiled on Sept. 29.

© JNS