Israel on Wednesday declared a “renewed enforcement” of the Gaza ceasefire, hours after carrying out a series of airstrikes that killed 91 Palestinians, including at least 24 children, according to Al Jazeera as reported by ANI. In a statement shared on X, the Israel Defence Forces said the strikes were carried out under directives from the political leadership, particularly from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and targeted dozens of what it called terror sites and Hamas operatives. “In accordance with the directive of the political echelon, and following a series of strikes, in which dozens of terror targets and terrorists were struck, the IDF has begun the renewed enforcement of the ceasefire in response to Hamas’ violations,” the IDF said, according to ANI.
What triggered the strikes
According to a statement from the Israel Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday, Netanyahu instructed the military to “immediately carry out forceful strikes in the Gaza Strip” following security consultations, according to ANI. As reported by CNN, a military official said Hamas militants attacked Israeli forces east of the so-called yellow line, which demarcates the Israeli-occupied part of Gaza from the rest of the enclave. The IDF added that, in coordination with the Israel Security Agency, it had targeted 30 Hamas terrorists holding command positions within the organisation. “The IDF will continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement and will respond firmly to any violation of it,” the statement added, according to ANI.
A ceasefire under strain
The strikes come as the Gaza ceasefire’s next phase — reconstruction, governance arrangements and further Israeli troop withdrawals — remains deadlocked over Hamas disarmament, according to Voice of Serbia’s summary of UN commission reporting. Hamas has said it will not surrender its weapons without a complete Israeli withdrawal and an end to strikes, while Netanyahu has demanded full disarmament before further withdrawals. Separately, UN-commissioned experts warned on October 27 that the ceasefire in Gaza has not ended what they describe as Israel’s genocide against Palestinians, according to the Chicago Patriot News. Israel has rejected allegations of genocide, maintaining its campaign was directed against Hamas and that it acted in self-defence following the October 7, 2023 attack. The casualty figures from the latest strikes are attributed to Gaza health authorities via Al Jazeera and have not been independently verified in the ANI report.
Related: Israel Election Deadlock Deepens as Final Count Nears 61 Race · Iran Rejects Qatar Peace Ideas as Nuclear Standoff Drags On
