U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the ceasefire established on October 10 is still in effect. He noted that Israel has the right to retaliate in case of an attack:
“As far as I know, they killed an Israeli soldier. Therefore, the Israelis responded, and it was necessary.”
According to the IDF, as a result of the fighting in Rafah, 37-year-old engineer Yonah Ephraim Feldbaum was killed. The army's press release specified that he died during operations in the southern Gaza Strip.
Hamas, for its part, denied its connections to the shootout in Rafah and confirmed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement. In an official statement, the movement characterized Israel's actions as "criminal bombings" and "gross violations of the terms of the agreement." Hamas called on mediators to "immediately pressure" Israel to stop the violence against civilians in Gaza.
After a series of strikes, the IDF reported that together with the Shin Bet, they managed to eliminate more than 30 militants involved in command roles in terrorist groups operating in Gaza. The army noted that the ceasefire would be restored, but Israel would take decisive measures in response to any violations.
These strikes occurred against the backdrop of disputes between Israel and Hamas regarding the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement concerning the transfer of the bodies of Israeli hostages. Hamas provided Israel with remains that, according to expertise, belonged to a previously returned hostage - Ofir Tsarfati. The Israeli side viewed this as a violation of the agreements and accused Hamas of delaying the process of returning the remaining 13 deceased hostages.
Additionally, an Israeli reconnaissance drone recorded militants in the Daraj-Tuffah area of Gaza removing the remains of a captive from a building, burying them in a pit, and then calling representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross to demonstrate the "discovery" of the body in front of cameras. The IDF presented video evidence confirming this incident. Hamas rejected these accusations, stating that it is Israel that is obstructing the search for bodies by preventing joint groups of militants and the Red Cross from entering several areas of the Gaza Strip. In official statements, the group confirmed that it is not delaying the transfer of bodies and "strictly adheres to the terms of the agreement." Hamas representatives also claim that Israel is blocking the import of necessary equipment for clearing rubble and searching for remains.
On October 28, the military wing of Hamas reported that during search operations in one of the tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip, the body of an Israeli captive was found, which was planned to be transferred to Israel later that same day. However, the transfer of bodies was suspended after the start of Israeli airstrikes.
