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**Israel Responds Strongly to Ceasefire Violation with Major Strikes on Hamas in Gaza**
In a dramatic escalation of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, Israel launched a powerful military response against Hamas after accusing the militant group of violating a recently brokered ceasefire. The truce, which had lasted for nine days and was negotiated with the involvement of then-US President Donald Trump, was shattered when Hamas fighters carried out a surprise attack on Israeli troops, igniting a new round of violence and prompting Israel to retaliate with overwhelming force.
**The Incident That Sparked Renewed Hostilities**
The fragile peace came to an abrupt end in southern Gaza, when Hamas operatives reportedly emerged from one of their concealed tunnels and ambushed Israeli forces. According to Israeli military sources, the attack was unprovoked and constituted a blatant breach of the ceasefire agreement. In response, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) wasted no time in launching a comprehensive counterstrike. What began as a localized firefight rapidly escalated into a full-scale military campaign spanning the entire Gaza Strip.
**Massive Israeli Airstrikes and Artillery Barrages**
Israel’s retaliation was swift and severe. Under the direction of its Southern Command, the IDF deployed fighter jets, attack aircraft, and heavy artillery to target dozens of Hamas installations throughout the territory. The objective was clear: to inflict maximum damage on Hamas’s operational capacity and to send an unequivocal message that violations of the ceasefire would not be tolerated.
Among the most significant actions was the destruction of a vast underground tunnel network, often referred to by the IDF as a “terror highway.” This six-kilometer-long tunnel system, painstakingly constructed by Hamas over months or years, had been used to move fighters, transport weapons, and mount surprise attacks on Israel from below ground. Over 120 precision munitions were used to collapse the tunnels, with Israeli officials declaring that Hamas’s ability to carry out underground operations had been severely crippled.
**Targeting Hamas’s Military Infrastructure**
The tunnel network was only the beginning. In what the Israeli military described as a coordinated and systematic operation, airstrikes and artillery shelling targeted a wide range of Hamas infrastructure across Gaza. This included:
- **Weapons storage sites:** These facilities, packed with rockets, explosives, and other munitions, were believed to be intended for future attacks on Israeli civilian areas. - **Military command centers and planning facilities:** Hamas’s organizational hubs for orchestrating attacks and managing its forces were destroyed or heavily damaged. - **Rocket launching positions and firing points:** The sites used to launch projectiles into Israeli territory were neutralized in order to prevent further rocket barrages. - **Active militant cells:** In some instances, Hamas fighters engaged in hostile activities were directly targeted and eliminated during the strikes. - **Additional facilities:** Any remaining infrastructure believed to support Hamas’s military operations—including training camps, communication centers, and logistical depots—were also attacked.
The IDF’s intention was clear: to dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities and infrastructure so comprehensively that any future violations of ceasefire agreements would come at an unacceptably high cost to the militant group.
**Human Cost and Escalation**
The scale of the Israeli response quickly became evident. Reports from Gaza indicated that at least 33 people had been killed in the bombardment on Sunday alone, a figure that climbed rapidly from initial casualty counts as the full extent of the strikes emerged. The destruction was not limited to military targets; as is often the case in such densely populated areas, civilian casualties and collateral damage were reported, though the IDF insisted that all operations were aimed solely at terror-related sites.
The human toll and images of destruction once again highlighted the devastating impact of renewed hostilities in Gaza, fueling anger, fear, and grief on both sides of the border.
**Mutual Accusations and Political Fallout**
As the dust settled from the initial round of strikes, both Israel and Hamas were quick to blame each other for the breakdown of the nine-day-old truce. Israeli officials maintained that Hamas had shown contempt for peace by initiating the ambush and that their response was both justified and necessary to protect Israeli citizens.
Hamas, meanwhile, accused Israel of overreacting and targeting civilian areas, a claim that has become a familiar refrain