World News
Israel strikes Gaza launch site after failed rocket fire
The Israeli military said on Thursday it carried out a targeted strike on a rocket launch site near Gaza City after detecting a failed rocket launch, amid uncertainty over the start of the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire.
The Israeli military said on Thursday it carried out a targeted strike on a rocket launch site near Gaza City after detecting a failed rocket launch, amid uncertainty over the start of the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the projectile did not cross into Israeli territory and the launch site was struck shortly after the attempted launch was identified. The military accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire twice in the past 24 hours.
Israel is currently awaiting the handover of the final body due under the ongoing stage of the truce. An Israeli official close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would not proceed to the next phase of the ceasefire until Hamas returns the remains of the last Israeli hostage still believed to be held in Gaza.
Israel has also not opened the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt — another provision of the US-backed ceasefire plan — stating that it will do so only after the remains are returned.
Despite the ceasefire agreement, Israel has continued air strikes and targeted military operations across Gaza. The IDF said it views “with utmost severity” any attempts by militant groups in the enclave to attack Israel.
Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of serious violations of the ceasefire and remain divided over the more complex provisions of the next phase of the agreement. Hamas has refused to disarm and has sought to reassert control in parts of Gaza, while Israeli troops remain deployed in roughly half of the territory.
Israel has warned that it will resume full-scale military action if Hamas does not agree to disarm through non-military means.
Israel and Palestinian armed groups have been locked in recurring cycles of violence since the war erupted in October 2023, with ceasefire efforts repeatedly strained by mutual accusations and unresolved political and security demands.
