Israel Strikes Kill At Least Twenty in Gaza as Uneasy Cease Fire Holds

What Happened?

Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza yesterday, killing at least twenty and wounding forty more in what the Israeli Defense Force described as retaliation for a Hamas shooting which took place near the yellow line in the northern portion of the Gaza Strip.

According to the BBC, the Israeli military said tanks and aircraft carried out precision strikes against what it called terrorists who opened fire on Israeli troops, seriously wounding an officer.

Hamas did not deny that the shooting had taken place but still accused Israel of using the shooting as a ‘flimsy pretext to justify the continuation of killing and aggression against our people.’

Why it Matters

Hamas and Israel have each accused each other of almost daily violations of the ceasefire, but despite repeated incidents, large-scale hostilities have still not resumed. But smaller scale and more frequent exchanges of fire have become almost routine, leaving many to question whether there really is a cease fire still in effect. Despite the frequency of incidents, neither Hamas nor Israel appear eager to resume full-scale fighting.

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Hamas is likely not in a position to resume major combat because it has yet to replenish the manpower and resources it lost during the past two years of war. Israel’s reluctance to reignite the war is likely based on the desire of the majority of the Israeli people to end hostilities and return to normal life. The result is a strange situation where both the Israeli military and Hamas want to keep fighting, but neither are able to do so at this time.

According to the BBC, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strike in al-Mawasi targeted a platoon commander of the elite Nukhba forces of Hamas's military wing, whom it named as Bilal Abu Assi. Whom they said was involved in the planning and execution of the attacks of October 2023. Israel also issued a statement saying, ‘Prior to and during the strike, steps were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians.’

The exact number of people killed in the strikes remains unknown, but Palestinian health officials said at least twenty had been killed and likely forty more wounded by the strikes. None of the Palestinian sources acknowledged the possibility that the attack had targeted members of Hamas, but that is unsurprising since Hamas routinely threatens any Palestinians who mention their names without permission. 

How it Affects You

The potential for major hostilities to resume continues to grow as Hamas seeks to recoup its losses in terms of personnel and weapons. Hamas has refused to disarm, and their presence threatens to undermine the entire peace agreement and ceasefire, which is already fragile.

The continued efforts by Hamas to govern the Gaza Strip by force could prolong small-scale hostilities and keep Palestinians trapped in limbo where there really isn’t peace or full-scale war. 

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