Israel says transfer of aid into Gaza is halted ‘until further notice’ as ceasefire faces major test
The official spoke on condition of anonymity until a formal announcement is made about the halt in U.S. aid, which comes just over a week since the start of a ceasefire aimed at ending a two-year war.
The Israeli military said early Sunday that its soldiers came under fire from Hamas militants in southern Gaza. At least 19 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in central and southern Gaza, health officials said.
The Israeli military said it hit dozens of what it called Hamas targets.
A senior Egyptian official involved in the ceasefire negotiations said contacts were continuing “24 hours a day” to reduce tensions. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to take “strong action” against any ceasefire violations but did not threaten to return to war. The Israeli army said militants opened fire on troops in Israeli-controlled areas of Rafah city in accordance with agreed ceasefire lines. No injuries were reported. Israel responded with airstrikes and artillery, the army said. Hamas, which continues to accuse Israel of violating multiple ceasefires, said that communication with its remaining units in Rafah has been cut off for months and that “we are not responsible for any events that occur in these areas.”
Shortly before sunset, the Israeli military said it launched a series of airstrikes on what it called Hamas targets in southern Gaza. He also said his forces shot “terrorists” who approached troops in Beit Lahiya in the north.
Strikes in Gaza
At least six Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a makeshift coffeehouse in the central Gaza town of Zawaida, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government.
Another attack killed at least two people near the Al-Ahly football club in the Nuseyrat refugee camp, the ministry said. Al-Awda Hospital, where the injured were located, said that a tent was hit in the attack and eight people were injured.
The hospital also said that the bodies of four people killed in the attack on a school hosting displaced families in Nuseyrat were received, as well as the body of one person killed in the attack on an attack point in the west of Nuseyrat.
Another attack hit a tent in the Muwasi district of Khan Younis in the south, killing at least four people, including a woman and two children, according to Nasser Hospital.
According to Shifa hospital, two people died in the attack in Beit Lahiya.
An Israeli military official told reporters that there were three incidents on Sunday, two in the south of Gaza and one in the north, and noted that the update was partial for now.
Bodies of more hostages detected
Israel has identified the remains of two hostages released by Hamas overnight.
Netanyahu’s office said the bodies were those of Ronen Engel, a father from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, a Thai agricultural worker from Kibbutz Be’eri.
Both were believed to have been killed during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war. Engel’s wife Karina and two of their three children were kidnapped in November 2023 and released under a ceasefire.
Hamas handed over the remains of 12 hostages last week.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said it had found the body of a hostage and would return him on Sunday “if conditions on the ground permit”. He warned that any escalation by Israel would disrupt search efforts.
Israel said on Saturday that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt would remain closed “until further notice”, pressuring Hamas to fulfill its ceasefire role of returning the remains of 28 dead hostages.
Hamas says the devastation of war and the Israeli army’s control of certain parts of Gaza has slowed the handover process. Israel believes Hamas has access to more bodies than it returns.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israel sent the bodies of 150 Palestinians back to Gaza, 15 of them on Sunday. Israel neither identified the bodies nor explained how they died. The ministry posts photos of bodies on its website to assist families trying to find their loved ones. Some decompose and darken. Some are missing limbs and teeth.
The Ministry of Health said only 25 bodies had been identified.
The handover of bodies became a major issue in the first phase of the ceasefire after Israel and Hamas exchanged 20 live hostages for more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Another important issue is to significantly increase humanitarian aid.
Second phase of the ceasefire
In the statement made by Hamas, it was stated that a Hamas delegation led by chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya arrived in Cairo to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire agreement with mediators and other Palestinian groups.
The next phases are expected to focus on disarming Hamas, Israel’s withdrawal from other areas it controls in Gaza, and the future administration of the devastated region.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Kassem said late Saturday that the second phase of the talks “requires national consensus.” He said Hamas had begun talks to “consolidate its positions.”
The US plan proposes the establishment of an internationally supported authority to govern Gaza.
Kassem reiterated that Hamas will not be part of the ruling authority in post-war Gaza. He called for the immediate establishment of a group of Palestinian technocrats to handle day-to-day affairs.
For now, “government institutions in Gaza continue to fulfill their duties because the (power) vacuum is very dangerous,” he said.
Rafah border crossing
The Rafah crossing was the only crossing point not under Israeli control before the war. It has been closed since May 2024, when Israel took control of the Gaza side.
Full reopening of the border crossing will make it easier for Palestinians to seek medical treatment, travel or visit family in Egypt, which is home to tens of thousands of Palestinians.
On Sunday, the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Internal Affairs in Ramallah announced procedures for Palestinians wishing to exit or enter Gaza through the Rafah border crossing. For those wishing to leave, staff from the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo will be at the crossing to issue temporary travel documents for entry into Egypt. Palestinians wishing to enter Gaza will need to contact the embassy.
The Israel-Hamas war has left more than 68,000 Palestinians dead, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in the count. The ministry maintains detailed casualty records that are generally considered reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. Israel objected to them without specifying its own fee.
Thousands more are missing, according to the Red Cross.
In the attack that sparked the war, Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped 251 people.
