‘Israel’ army says resumes enforcement of Gaza ceasefire

‘Israel’ said it had resumed enforcing a Gaza ceasefire after carrying out dozens of deadly strikes on what it claimed to be Hamas positions Sunday, having accused the group of targeting its troops in the most serious violence since the nine-day-old truce began.

Gaza's civil defence agency, said at least 45 people had been killed across the territory in ‘Israeli’ strikes.

Four hospitals in Gaza confirmed the death toll of 45 to AFP, saying they had received the dead and wounded.

Later Sunday, the military said it had "renewed enforcement of the ceasefire" but vowed to "respond firmly to any violation of it".

The strikes began Sunday in response to what the ‘Israeli’ military said in a statement had been a "blatant violation" of the ceasefire.

The military had "begun a series of strikes against Hamas terror targets in the southern Gaza Strip", the statement added.

Hamas denied the accusations, one official accusing ‘Israel’ of fabricating "pretexts" to resume the war.

In a separate statement, the ‘Israeli’ military said two of its soldiers "fell during combat in the southern Gaza Strip".

The prime minister's office later said they were killed in the city of Rafah.

A security official also told AFP that ‘Israel’ was suspending the entry of aid into Gaza due to claims of ceasefire violations.

‘Israel’ repeatedly cut off aid to the territory during the war, exacerbating dire humanitarian conditions, with the United Nations saying it caused a famine in northern Gaza.

“Blood has returned”

The truce in the Palestinian territory, brokered by US President Donald Trump and taking effect on 10 October, halted more than two years of devastating assault on Gaza.

The deal established the outline for prisoner exchanges, and was proposed alongside an ambitious roadmap for Gaza's future. But it has quickly faced challenges to its implementation.

"Earlier today, terrorists fired anti-tank missiles and opened fire on IDF (army) forces," in Rafah, the military said in a statement.

"The IDF responded with air strikes by fighter jets and artillery fire, targeting the Rafah area," the statement said.

Clashes erupted in the southern city in an area still held by ‘Israel’.

Hamas had been fighting a local Palestinian gang known as Abu Shabab but Hamas fighters were "surprised by the presence of army tanks".

"The air force conducted two strikes from the air," he added.

“Security illusion”

Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Hamas would "pay a heavy price for every shot and every breach of the ceasefire", adding ‘Israel's’ response would "become increasingly severe".

A statement from Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of Hamas's political bureau, reaffirmed the group's commitment to the ceasefire.

‘Israel’, it said, "continues to breach the agreement and fabricate flimsy pretexts to justify its crimes".

Hamas's armed wing insisted on Sunday that the group was adhering to the ceasefire agreement with ‘Israel’ and had "no knowledge" of any clashes in Rafah.

Under Trump's 20-point plan, ‘Israeli’ forces have withdrawn beyond the so-called Yellow Line. That leaves them in control of around half of Gaza, including the territory's borders but not its main cities.

Hamas in turn has released 20 living captives and is in the process of returning the remaining bodies of those who have died.