Tensions flared in the Gaza Strip on Sunday as Israel and Hamas traded accusations of violating the ceasefire agreement, while the Health Ministry in Gaza reported that the death toll from the war — now entering its second year — has surpassed 68,000. In a statement, the ministry said that 18 people were killed in the past 24 hours — including ten whose bodies were recovered from under the rubble — and three others were injured, bringing the total death toll since October 7, 2023, to 68,159, with 170,203 wounded. Israel's Channel 12 quoted an Israeli official as saying the army was preparing for a "series of attacks" on Gaza following high-level security consultations. Meanwhile, Channel 11 reported that Israeli airstrikes targeted areas in Rafah after reports of clashes with Palestinian fighters. Hamas reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire agreement, accusing Israel of repeatedly breaching it. Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas's political bureau, said that "the occupation continues to violate the agreement and invent pretexts to justify its crimes," claiming that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "trying to evade his commitments under pressure from his extremist coalition." The movement also rejected a US State Department statement alleging that Hamas was preparing an "imminent attack" on Gaza's residents, describing the claim as "false and aligned with Israeli propaganda" and saying it "provides cover for the occupation's ongoing crimes." Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, affirmed its "full commitment" to the ceasefire, saying it had no knowledge of any clashes in Rafah, which it described as "red zones under occupation control." It added that communication with its fighters there had been cut off since March and that it had no information on their status. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Hamas "will learn the hard way that the army is determined to protect its soldiers and prevent any attacks against them." He said the army had been instructed to act "forcefully" against Hamas targets, warning that the group "will pay a heavy price for every breach of the agreement." In Washington, the US State Department cautioned that any Hamas attack against Palestinian civilians would constitute a "direct violation" of the ceasefire. It added that the United States and other guarantor nations "remain committed to ensuring the safety of civilians, maintaining calm on the ground, and promoting peace and prosperity for the people of Gaza and the wider region." Amid rising tensions, a new convoy of humanitarian aid — 200 trucks carrying about 4,000 tons of food, medicine, and tents — entered Gaza through the Karem Abu Salem and Al-Awja crossings, according to Egypt's Al-Qahera News, as part of ongoing efforts to ease the worsening humanitarian crisis in the enclave. US President Donald Trump said in televised remarks that "the Gaza agreement is respected by all parties, including Israel and the Arab and Islamic countries," noting that "Gulf leaders, especially Qatar, played a key role in making it work despite the risks." These developments came as Israel's Channel 12 reported that US Vice President JD Vance's visit to Israel had been postponed until Tuesday, amid growing signs of the ceasefire's fragility and concerns that the situation could once again spiral into full-scale confrontation.
