Israel launches airstrikes on Gaza as hopes for lasting peace fade

The Israeli military launched air and ground attacks in Gaza on Sunday, according to Israeli media and local residents, diminishing hopes that a US-mediated ceasefire could bring lasting peace to the war-torn enclave.

The escalation comes as Israel and Hamas continue to trade blame for repeated violations of the truce, which took effect on October 11.

Quoting residents in Rafah, in southern Gaza, media reports said that they heard explosions and gunfire, while witnesses reported Israeli tank fire in the nearby town of Abassan, east of Khan Younis. Separate accounts described a series of airstrikes hitting Rafah early Sunday afternoon.

In northern Gaza, local health officials said two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Jabalia area.

When asked to confirm the strikes, an Israeli government spokesperson referred inquiries to the military, which did not immediately comment.

The renewed violence marks one of the most serious tests of the fragile ceasefire so far, raising fears of a broader return to conflict just days after diplomatic efforts sought to stabilize the situation.