October 20, 2025

The delicate peace agreement in Gaza hit its first serious bump on Sunday. An Israeli security official, speaking in secret, announced that aid shipments into Gaza have been stopped "until further notice" after Hamas broke the ceasefire. This comes just over a week after the U.S.-backed truce began, meant to pause two long years of fighting. Israel's army reported that its soldiers were fired upon by Hamas militants in southern Gaza. In response, Israeli forces launched air and artillery strikes against dozens of Hamas targets. Health officials from Gaza said that at least 19 Palestinians were killed by these Israeli strikes in central and southern parts of Gaza. A senior Egyptian official involved in the peace talks revealed there were "round-the-clock" conversations to cool down the tensions. But this hectic situation is far from calm yet. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to act strongly against any more ceasefire breaches, though he didn’t say Israel would return to full war just yet. The Israeli military said militants fired near Rafah city, an area controlled by Israel under the ceasefire rules, but no injuries occurred. Israel responded with strikes and artillery fire. Hamas, denying responsibility for these incidents, said, "we are not responsible for any incidents occurring in those areas," claiming its communications have been cut off there for months. Just before sunset, Israel intensified airstrikes in southern Gaza, hitting Hamas spots and attacking "terrorists" near Beit Lahiya in the north. The attacks devastated areas like Zawaida town where a makeshift coffeehouse attack killed at least six people. Another strike near Al-Ahly soccer club killed at least two, and a hit on a school sheltering displaced families took four lives. Hospitals reported more casualties, including women and children, painting a grim picture. Regarding the war's tragic human toll, Israel identified the remains of two hostages handed over by Hamas overnight: Ronen Engel, a father from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, a Thai worker from Kibbutz Be’eri. Both were believed to have died during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Engel's family suffered more heartbreak with his wife and two children abducted but later released. So far, Hamas has returned 12 hostages’ remains but warned that Israeli escalation could stop further returns. Meanwhile, Israel demands Hamas return the remains of all 28 deceased hostages before reopening Rafah border crossing with Egypt. This crossing, closed since May 2024 after Israel took control on Gaza's side, is vital for medical aid, travel, and family visits. A Hamas delegation led by chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya recently arrived in Cairo for talks on the ceasefire’s progress. The next steps? Disarming Hamas, more Israeli withdrawals, and deciding who governs Gaza postwar. Hamas insists they won’t be part of Gaza’s future government but supports a body of Palestinian experts running daily affairs to avoid a dangerous power vacuum. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority announced how Palestinians can travel through Rafah using temporary travel papers from the Egyptian embassy. The ongoing conflict has claimed over 68,000 Palestinian lives, with many still missing, according to local health officials and the Red Cross. On the other side, Hamas militants killed roughly 1,200 people and abducted 251 in their initial attack that sparked this devastating war. As the ceasefire trembles on its first major test, the world watches anxiously: will peace hold, or will the flames of conflict roar back to life? The answers lie in the coming days — full of fragile hope and tough challenges.

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Tags: Gaza ceasefire, Israel hamas conflict, Israeli airstrikes, Hostage remains, Rafah crossing, Humanitarian aid,