What happened
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday ordered “powerful strikes” on Gaza, accusing Hamas of violating the Oct. 10 ceasefire by firing on Israeli troops, killing one, and delaying the return of hostage bodies. Gaza hospital officials said at least 81 Palestinians were killed in the overnight strikes. Hamas said it had “no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah and affirms its commitment to the ceasefire agreement.”
Who said what
The new rounds of violence were “likely the most serious challenge to the tenuous ceasefire deal in Gaza since it came into force,” The Associated Press said. The Israeli Defense Forces said the ceasefire was back in effect after its heavy airstrikes, but it would “respond firmly” to any violations.
Israeli “should hit back” when its troops are fired upon but “nothing’s going to jeopardize” the ceasefire, President Donald Trump said on Air Force One en route to South Korea. “Hamas is a very small part of peace in the Middle East,” and “if they’re not good, they’re going to be terminated.” Israel considers the return of hostage bodies a “key plank” of the deal and accused Hamas Tuesday of staging the discovery of a hostage’s partial remains, said The New York Times. Hamas has blamed “conditions on the ground” in war-ravaged Gaza for the slow returns.
What next?
Tuesday’s “skirmishes” weren’t the “first time the ceasefire has been tested,” The Wall Street Journal said, and they “underscore how fragile the deal is” and “demonstrate the challenges for the next steps,” which “call for Hamas to disarm and for an international force to help stabilize Gaza.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Beth Macy’s 6 favorite books about living in a divided nationFeature The journalist recommends works by Nicholas Buccola, Matthew Desmond, and more
-
Political cartoons for October 29Cartoons Wednesday's political cartoons include gerrymandered voters, taking aim at Venezuela, and banishing the Blue Jays
-
Argentina’s Milei buoyed by regional election winsSpeed Read Argentine President Javier Milei is an ally of President Trump, receiving billions of dollars in backing from his administration
-
Proposed Trump-Putin talks in Budapest on holdSpeed Read Trump apparently has no concrete plans to meet with Putin for Ukraine peace talks
-
Bolivia elects centrist over far-right presidential rivalSpeed Read Relative political unknown Rodrigo Paz, a centrist senator, was elected president
-
Gaza’s reconstruction: the steps to rebuildingIn The Spotlight Even the initial rubble clearing in Gaza is likely to be fraught with difficulty and very slow
-
Madagascar president in hiding, refuses to resignSpeed Read Andry Rajoelina fled the country amid Gen Z protests and unrest
-
‘Extraordinary asymmetry’: the history of Israeli prisoner swapsIn The Spotlight Exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees is the latest in a series of trades in which Israeli lives appear to count for more
-
Israel, Hamas agree to first step of Trump peace planSpeed Read Israel’s military pulls back in Gaza amid prisoner exchange
-
Israel intercepts 2nd Gaza aid flotilla in a weekSpeed Read The Israeli military intercepted a flotilla of nine boats with 145 activists aboard along with medical and food aid
