Israel strikes Gaza, raising concerns regarding the fate of the ceasefire

As Palestinians, Israelis and the world population boasted the silencing of guns and the chance given for peace with US President Donald Trump’s Gaza Peace Deal, the prospect of a renewed war seems to advance, shattering hopes of perpetual peace and stability.  This uncertainty and concern arose due to alarming Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, after contending accusations regarding who violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

Israel’s strikes on Gaza

Tel Aviv accused Hamas of two critical violations to the announced ceasefire agreement that was reached just at the beginning of this month.

Firstly, since the deal was reached, Israel has repeatedly accused the Palestinian group of conducting military operations against its troops in Gaza. These alleged accusations have been denied by the same group, which launched reciprocal claims against the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). The latest claims came on Tuesday, October 29, 2025, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of attacking its forces in southern Gaza, perceived an area under Israeli control.

Secondly, Israel has also accused the group of handing over inaccurate and falsified remains of decimated Israeli hostages. Just recently, Netanyahu claimed that Hamas released remains of a hostage already recovered by troops nearly 2 years ago, belonging to Ofir Tzarfati. The hostage issue is particularly sensitive in Israeli society as well as both the political and military apparatus, given their families’ intensive pressure and the government’s vow to return all hostages and their remains home for a dignified burial. Therefore, Tel Aviv views any misstep in this delicate file as a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement. Meanwhile, Hamas claimed that Netanyahu was looking for excuses to back away from Israel’s obligations.

From here, Netanyahu “instructed the military echelon to carry out powerful strikes in the Gaza Strip immediately,” according to the statement published by the prime minister’s office. These strikes killed at least 104, marking the deadliest day in Gaza since the beginning of the ceasefire.

Washington reassures the durability of the ceasefire agreement

Despite concerns, the United States downplayed the latest flare-up between the two sides, emphasizing the sustainability of the peace deal. US Vice President JD Vance claimed that “the ceasefire is holding,” although he did not exclude “little skirmishes here and there.” Vance added that “we know that Hamas or somebody else within Gaza attacked an (Israeli) soldier. We expect the Israelis are going to respond, but I think the president's peace is going to hold despite that.”

Although both Israel and Hamas continuously claimed their adherence to the provisions outlined in the ceasefire agreement, Washington remains key to ensuring full and sincere compliance through its diplomatic, economic and military leverage it has on the two parties.