2025-10-20 19:03
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2025-10-20 19:03
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the Israeli army dropped 153 tons of bombs on the Gaza Strip on Sunday in response to an attack that the military said was an attack by Hamas that violated the ceasefire.
— Yesterday we dropped 153 tons of bombs on various parts of the Gaza Strip after two of our soldiers were killed by Hamas, Netanyahu said at the opening of the winter session of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset.
The Israeli army carried out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Sunday in response to shelling it attributed to Hamas. The Palestinian group did not claim responsibility for the attack. Forty-five Palestinians were killed in the airstrikes, and two Israeli soldiers were killed in the preceding attack.
These were the most serious clashes since the US-sponsored ceasefire on October 10. Israel announced on Sunday evening that it was returning to the ceasefire.
The army said on Monday that it had fired on “several Palestinian terrorists” who had crossed the truce demarcation line and were approaching Israeli troops. According to medical services in the Gaza Strip, three people were killed by Israeli fire on Monday, Reuters reported.
Residents of the Gaza Strip say they do not know where exactly the zone of Israeli control begins because it is not marked, the agency added. The Israeli army said it had started placing concrete blocks marking the demarcation line.
For now, Israel and Hamas have accepted the first phase of the truce, the provisions of which were mostly respected until Sunday. However, the agreement is fragile. Talks about the second stage, which includes, among others, have not started yet. the sensitive issue of Hamas disarmament. This is one of Israel's main demands. Representatives of the group ruling the Gaza Strip have repeatedly declared that they will not lay down their weapons.
The US and Arab mediators are stepping up efforts on Monday to further implement the agreement, Reuters reported, sources familiar with the matter said.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump's advisers, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arrived in Israel. American envoys met with Netanyahu. According to the media, the US is pushing to accelerate negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire. Vice President JD Vance is also scheduled to visit Israel in the coming days.
At the same time, a Hamas delegation led by the chief negotiator and one of the leaders of this group, Khalil al-Hajja, arrived in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Monday for further talks.
The Israeli army announced that the Kerem Shalom border crossing with the Gaza Strip was reopened for humanitarian transports on Monday. Israel closed them on Sunday due to attacks on its troops. Increasing the flow of aid is one of the elements of the first phase of the ceasefire.
Tensions arise over the issue of Hamas returning the bodies of those killed and kidnapped. The group has so far released the bodies of 12 of the 28 hostages. Israeli authorities accuse Hamas of deliberately delaying this process. Hamas says it wants to return the bodies but is having technical difficulties recovering them.
Hamas announced that it would hand over another body on Monday evening.
From Jerusalem Jerzy Adamiak (PAP)
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