Israel Resumes Ceasefire in Gaza, Aid Deliveries Set to Restart

In a significant development, Israel announced that it has resumed enforcing a ceasefire in Gaza following a wave of Israeli airstrikes on Sunday. The military action came after reports indicated that Hamas militants had killed two Israeli soldiers. An official confirmed that aid deliveries to the territory would restart on Monday, providing some hope for residents facing dire humanitarian conditions.

The ceasefire, which was proposed by the United States, began a little over a week ago to halt two years of ongoing conflict. U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the ceasefire remains intact and expressed a desire for it to lead to lasting peace. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump described Hamas as “quite rambunctious” and suggested that violence may stem from “rebels” within the organization rather than its leadership. He noted that the situation is “under review,” without commenting on the justification of Israeli strikes.

Israeli military actions intensified following an attack that targeted their troops in the Rafah area. Health officials in Gaza reported that at least 36 Palestinians were killed in the strikes, including children. The Israeli military stated that it responded by targeting dozens of Hamas positions. The situation prompted a senior Egyptian official involved in ceasefire negotiations to indicate that “round-the-clock” efforts were underway to de-escalate tensions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to take “strong action” against any violations of the ceasefire, though he did not indicate plans to resume full-scale conflict. Hamas, meanwhile, accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire and claimed that communications with its units in Rafah had been severed for months.

As the violence unfolded, residents of Gaza expressed their fears of renewed warfare. Mahmoud Hashim, a father of five, appealed to international mediators, including President Trump, for urgent assistance, stating that a return to war would be a “nightmare.” The Al-Awda hospital reported receiving 24 bodies from recent Israeli strikes in various locations, including Nuseirat and Bureij camps.

A notable incident involved an airstrike on a coffeehouse in Zawaida town, which resulted in the deaths of at least six Palestinians. Further strikes in northern and southern Gaza claimed additional lives, including women and children. Khadijeh abu-Nofal, a resident of Khan Younis, expressed despair, asking, “Where is peace?” as hospital workers tended to wounded children.

On another front, Israel identified the remains of two hostages, Ronen Engel and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, believed to have been killed during the October 7 attack that ignited the current conflict. Engel’s family had previously experienced a traumatic ordeal, with his wife and two children kidnapped and released during a ceasefire in November 2023. Over the past week, Hamas has handed over the remains of 12 hostages, while Israel urged the group to return the bodies of all 28 deceased hostages.

The Rafah border crossing, the only exit not controlled by Israel before the war, remains closed “until further notice,” complicating the humanitarian situation further. Israel has released 150 Palestinian bodies back to Gaza, with only 25 identified by the Health Ministry. The ministry’s records, deemed reliable by international agencies, indicate that more than 68,000 Palestinians have died since the conflict began, though these figures have been disputed by Israel.

In a prospective next step for the ceasefire, a Hamas delegation, led by chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, has arrived in Cairo to discuss the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. Future negotiations are expected to address the disarmament of Hamas and the governance of post-war Gaza, with suggestions for an internationally backed authority to oversee the region’s affairs. Hamas has made it clear that it will not participate in a ruling authority but has called for a body of technocrats to manage daily operations.

The ongoing conflict has left a deep impact on the lives of those in Gaza, with thousands still unaccounted for according to the Red Cross. As the fragile ceasefire holds, the international community watches closely, hoping for a resolution that can bring lasting peace to an area that has seen too much suffering.