James C. Reynolds

 

ISRAELI OCCUPIED AND STARVED GAZA, 19 Oct. - (ANA) - Israel has suspended the supply of all humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and launched a fresh wave of airstrikes after accusing Hamas of breaching a US-brokered ceasefire.

 

It came after residents in Gaza and local health authorities said that Israeli airstrikes and tank fire across the enclave had killed at least 11 people. An Israeli military official said that further strikes against Hamas targets may still be launched following at least three attacks on troops on Sunday.

 

The IDF said in a statement that 'terrorists' had fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire towards IDF troops working in Rafah. 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”.

 

An Israeli military official told The Independent that Hamas had carried out “multiple attacks” against Israeli troops beyond the agreed withdrawal line in a “bold violation of the ceasefire”.

 

“The attacks included an RPG shot at a military force, and a sniper fire against a military force,” they added. “Both of the incidents happened in an Israeli-controlled area, east to the yellow line.”

 

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had ordered the military to respond forcefully to what he described as Hamas’s violations of the ceasefire.

 

Hamas’s armed wing said that it remained committed to the ceasefire agreement in all of Gaza, adding that it was unaware of clashes in Rafah and that it had not been in contact with groups there since March.

 

Palestinians in Gaza heard explosions and gunfire in Rafah and witnesses also reported heavy gunfire from Israeli tanks in the eastern town of Abassan near Khan Younis, also in southern Gaza.

 

The impact of the Israeli strikes was not immediately clear.

 

The BBC reported separately that three people had been killed by an Israeli air strike in Nuseirat, citing a doctor at al-Aqsa Hospital. The doctor said an earlier strike at al-Zawaida killed six Palestinians and injured seven others.

 

Israel’s hawkish far-right minister of national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, called on prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “order the IDF to fully resume combat in the Gaza Strip with maximum force”.

 

Far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich echoed: “War!”

 

The government media office in Gaza said on Saturday that Israel had committed 47 violations after the ceasefire deal, leaving 38 dead and 143 wounded.

 

In a separate incident on Friday, “operatives” were said to have emerged from a tunnel in the Rafah area and opened fire on Israeli forces, according to the IDF. There were no reported injuries or witnesses of the incident.

 

Journalists are not allowed into Gaza to verify the situation on the ground.

 

The developments come at a precarious time for the ceasefire, with US vice-president JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff expected to arrive in Israel on Monday to discuss Israel’s claims Hamas is violating the ceasefire agreement.

 

Hamas on Sunday rejected a statement from the US state department citing “credible reports” that the Palestinian group would imminently violate the ceasefire deal with Israel. Hamas said the allegations were false.

 

“The Hamas Movement rejects the allegations mentioned in the statement issued by the US state department and categorically denies the claims directed against it regarding an ‘imminent attack’ or a ‘violation of the ceasefire agreement,’” it said.

 

“These false allegations fully align with misleading Israeli propaganda and provide cover for the continuation of the occupation’s organised crimes and aggression against our people.”

 

Hamas accused Israel of forming, arming and funding criminal gangs that it said had “carried out killings, kidnappings, theft of aid trucks, and robberies against Palestinian civilians”.

 

The state department assessed in a short statement that Hamas was planning an “imminent” attack on civilians in Gaza, adding: “Should Hamas proceed with this attack, measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire.”

 

Donald Trump has threatened to disarm Hamas if it refuses to do so voluntarily, after saying he was unbothered by Hamas killing members of “very bad gangs” in Gaza earlier in the week.

 

The ceasefire has been further strained by Hamas’ delayed return of hostages to Israel and Israel’s decision to keep the Rafah crossing shut to humanitarian aid.

 

Israel has threatened to keep the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt closed “until further notice”. Netanyahu’s office said reopening Rafah would depend on how Hamas fulfils its ceasefire role of returning the remains of all 28 deceased hostages.

 

Hamas has returned all 20 live hostages and 12 of the deceased but said the process needs effort and special equipment to recover corpses buried under rubble.

 

Israel identified the body of a deceased hostage on Sunday morning, after Hamas handed over two bodies of what the militant group said were deceased hostages to the Red Cross late Saturday night.

 

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the body was identified as Ronen Engel. The second body is still undergoing identification at Israel's National Institute of Forensic Medicine.

 

Engel, 54, was killed during the October 7 attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz on the Gaza border. His wife, Karina, and two of his three children were kidnapped and released in a ceasefire in November 2023.

 

The IDF said on Sunday that another deceased hostage had been identified as Suntaya Akrasi.

 

Akrasti, a 30-year-old Thai citizen, was also killed during the October 7 attack, and his body was taken into Gaza. His body was taken from the orchards of kibbutz Be’eri, the IDF said.   

 

Aid has not Benn forthcoming and starvation of the people of Gaza is ongoing. - (ANA) - 

 

 

AB/ANA/19 October 2025 - - -