Israel Launches New Strikes on Gaza, Testing Fragile Truce

GAZA, November 1: Israel carried out fresh air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip overnight Thursday, killing at least two people, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency WAFA reported on Friday, in what appears to be a new test of a fragile, U.S.-brokered ceasefire.

According to WAFA, one Palestinian was killed by Israeli shelling and another was shot dead by Israeli forces in separate incidents. A third person later died of wounds sustained in earlier Israeli bombardments.

The Israeli military has not immediately commented on the strikes.

The latest violence marks the third consecutive night of Israeli attacks on Gaza since the truce took effect three weeks ago. The ceasefire, brokered by the United States and regional mediators, left key issues unresolved, including the disarmament of Hamas and a timeline for Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza.

Between Tuesday and Wednesday, Israel launched heavy bombardments in retaliation for the death of an Israeli soldier, killing at least 104 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Despite the renewed strikes, Israel said on Wednesday that it “remains committed” to the ceasefire.

Israel claimed the soldier was killed by Hamas gunmen inside the so-called “yellow line” zone, an area its troops had vacated under the truce. Hamas has denied any violation, calling the Israeli claim “false and provocative.”

In a sign that parts of the ceasefire deal are still being implemented, Hamas on Thursday handed over the bodies of two deceased Israeli hostages, WAFA reported.

Under the U.S.-brokered truce, Hamas agreed to release all living Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and wartime detainees, while Israel pledged to halt its offensive, pull back troops, and expand humanitarian aid into Gaza.

As part of the same agreement, Hamas committed to returning the remains of 28 deceased hostages in exchange for the bodies of 360 Palestinian militants killed during the war. After Thursday’s exchange, 17 of those bodies have now been returned.

Hamas officials said the process of locating and recovering the remaining bodies “will take time,” while Israel has accused the group of deliberately stalling and breaching the ceasefire terms.

The two-year-long conflict in Gaza has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health authorities, and flattened much of the enclave’s infrastructure. Hospitals remain overwhelmed, and humanitarian agencies warn that tens of thousands are at risk of starvation and disease as rebuilding efforts stall under continued security restrictions.

Analysts warn that unless both sides fully adhere to the ceasefire terms, the truce could collapse entirely, plunging Gaza and Israel back into full-scale war.