Israel has reinstated a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, with humanitarian aid deliveries set to resume on Monday. This decision follows a temporary halt in aid shipments initiated by Israel after alleging a ceasefire violation by Hamas. The militant group reportedly opened fire on Israeli soldiers, prompting retaliatory air and artillery strikes by the Israeli military on Hamas targets.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the military to respond decisively to any future breaches of the ceasefire. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed conducting targeted attacks in Gaza on Sunday in direct response to gunfire aimed at their troops. Security officials met with Netanyahu to reinforce the firm stance against violations.
Attention remains focused on Hamas’s commitment to returning the remains of 28 deceased hostages. While Hamas has returned 13 bodies, with 12 identified as Israeli hostages, one was reportedly not an Israeli captive. Hamas claims a need for specialized equipment to recover additional remains, a justification Israel views with skepticism, suspecting the group possesses more bodies than acknowledged.
Concurrently, Hamas has confirmed initiating discussions with international mediators for a second phase of the ceasefire. A Hamas spokesperson indicated that future agreements would necessitate national consensus and stated the group is negotiating to bolster its standing. The spokesperson also clarified that Hamas will not participate in governing Gaza post-conflict.