Israel Halts Aid Into Gaza After Attack On Its Forces By Hamas; 18 Killed In Israel Attack

Last Updated:October 20, 2025, 00:40 IST

Israel launched strikes in Gaza and halted aid after attacks killed two soldiers. At least 18 people died. Tensions remain high in Rafah despite a recent US-brokered ceasefire.

A drone view shows the destruction in a residential neighbourhood, following the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the area, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Gaza City. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

Israel on Sunday launched a series of strikes in Gaza and announced it was halting aid into the enclave in response to attacks on its forces that killed two of its soldiers. Meanwhile, local authorities in Gaza reported death of 18 people in Israel strike.

Reuters quoted residents in Gaza and local health authorities as saying that Israeli airstrikes and tank fire across the enclave killed at least 18 people, including at least one woman.

According to Israeli military, it struck Hamas targets across the enclave, including field commanders, gunmen, a tunnel and weapons depots, after the militant group launched an anti-tank missile and fired on its troops, killing the soldiers.

Meanwhile, Hamas’s armed wing said that it was committed to the ceasefire agreement but was unaware of clashes in Rafah and had not been in contact with groups there since March.

Following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to respond forcefully to “Hamas’s violation of the ceasefire.

In a statement, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said: “In response to the blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement earlier today, the IDF (military) has begun a series of strikes against Hamas terror targets in the southern Gaza Strip."

This came just over a week after a US-brokered ceasefire, led by President Donald Trump, brought a pause to more than two years of war. The truce deal included the return of hostages, the recovery of bodies, and a limited Israeli pullback from parts of Gaza.

Under the agreement, Hamas has so far released 20 surviving hostages and handed over the bodies of others. Israel also returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza, bringing the total to 150.

However, tensions have remained high, especially around Rafah, where clashes broke out again on Sunday. One resident told news agency AFP that Hamas fighters were initially clashing with a local gang before Israeli tanks appeared. “The air force conducted two strikes from the air," he said.

News world Israel Halts Aid Into Gaza After Attack On Its Forces By Hamas; 18 Killed In Israel Attack

Read More