Israeli military bomb Gaza as both sides accused of breaking ceasefire

Less than a week since the ceasefire came into effect, thick plumes of smoke can be seen rising from Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, October 19. Israeli military carried out air strikes on central and southern Gaza, as prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to respond forcefully to what he described as Hamas’s violations of the ceasefire. The IDF said in a statement that terrorists had fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire towards IDF troops working in Rafah. Hamas’s armed wing said that it remained committed to the ceasefire agreement in all of Gaza, adding that it was unaware of clashes in Rafah. The developments come at a precarious time for the ceasefire, with US vice-president JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff expected to arrive in Israel on Monday for discussions on Israel’s claims that Hamas is violating the ceasefire agreement.