海角大神

The fragile ceasefire in Gaza faced its first major test Sunday as an Israeli security official said the transfer of aid into the territory is halted 鈥渦ntil further notice鈥� after a Hamas ceasefire violation, and Israeli forces launched a wave of strikes.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement on the halt in aid, which is occurring a little over a week since the start of the U.S.-proposed ceasefire aimed at ending two years of war.

Israel鈥檚 military earlier Sunday said its troops came under fire from Hamas militants in southern Gaza. Health officials said at least 19 Palestinians were killed by Israeli strikes in central and southern Gaza.

Israel鈥檚 military said it had struck dozens of what it called Hamas targets.

A senior Egyptian official involved in the ceasefire negotiations said 鈥渞ound-the-clock鈥� contacts were underway to de-escalate the situation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn鈥檛 authorized to speak to reporters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the military to take 鈥渟trong action鈥� against any ceasefire violations but didn鈥檛 threaten to return to war.

Israel鈥檚 military said militants fired at troops in areas of Rafah city that are Israeli-controlled according to the agreed-upon ceasefire lines. No injuries were reported. The military said Israel responded with airstrikes and artillery.

Hamas, which continued to accuse Israel of multiple ceasefire violations, said communication with its remaining units in Rafah had been cut off for months and 鈥渨e are not responsible for any incidents occurring in those areas.鈥�

Shortly before sunset, Israel鈥檚 military said it had begun a series of airstrikes in southern Gaza against what it called Hamas targets. It also said its forces struck 鈥渢errorists鈥� approaching troops in Beit Lahiya in the north.

Strikes in Gaza

An Israeli airstrike on a makeshift coffeehouse in Zawaida town in central Gaza killed at least six Palestinians, according to Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government.

Another strike killed at least two people near the Al-Ahly soccer club in the Nuseirat refugee camp, the ministry said. The strike hit a tent and wounded eight others, said Al-Awda Hospital, which received the casualties.

The hospital said it also received the bodies of four people killed in a strike on a school sheltering displaced families in Nuseirat, along with the body of one person killed in a strike at a charging point west of Nuseirat.

Another strike hit a tent in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis in the south, killing at least four people, including a woman and two children, according to Nasser Hospital.

The strike in Beit Lahiya killed two men, according to Shifa Hospital.

An Israeli military official told journalists that there had been three incidents on Sunday, two in southern Gaza and one in the north, and noted that the update was partial for now.

More bodies of hostages identified

Israel identified the remains of two hostages released by Hamas overnight.

Netanyahu鈥檚 office said the bodies belonged to Ronen Engel, a father from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, a Thai agricultural worker from Kibbutz Be鈥檈ri.

Both were believed to have been killed during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which sparked the war. Mr. Engel鈥檚 wife, Karina, and two of his three children were kidnapped and released in a ceasefire in November 2023.

Hamas, in the past week, has handed over the remains of 12 hostages.

Hamas鈥� armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said that it had found the body of a hostage and would return it on Sunday 鈥渋f circumstances in the field鈥� allowed. It warned that any escalation by Israel would hamper search efforts.

Israel on Saturday pressed Hamas to fulfill its ceasefire role of returning the remains of all 28 deceased hostages, saying the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt would stay closed 鈥渦ntil further notice.鈥�

Hamas says the war鈥檚 devastation and Israeli military control of certain areas of Gaza have slowed the handover. Israel believes Hamas has access to more bodies than it has returned.

Israel has released 150 bodies of Palestinians back to Gaza, including 15 on Sunday, according to Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry. Israel has neither identified the bodies nor said how they died. The ministry posts photos of bodies on its website to help families attempting to locate loved ones. Some are decomposed and blackened. Some are missing limbs and teeth.

Only 25 bodies have been identified, the Health Ministry said.

After Israel and Hamas exchanged 20 living hostages for more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, the handover of remains is a major issue in the ceasefire鈥檚 first phase. A major scale-up of humanitarian aid is the other central issue.

Ceasefire鈥檚 second phase

A Hamas delegation led by chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya arrived in Cairo to follow up on the implementation of the ceasefire deal with mediators and other Palestinian groups, Hamas said in a statement.

The next stages are expected to focus on disarming Hamas, Israeli withdrawal from additional areas it controls in Gaza, and future governance of the devastated territory.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Kassem said late Saturday that the second phase of negotiations 鈥渞equires national consensus.鈥� He said Hamas has begun discussions to 鈥渟olidify its positions.鈥�

The U.S. plan proposes the establishment of an internationally backed authority to run Gaza.

Kassem reiterated that Hamas won鈥檛 be part of the ruling authority in a postwar Gaza. He called for the prompt establishment of a body of Palestinian technocrats to run day-to-day affairs.

For now, 鈥済overnment agencies in Gaza continue to perform their duties, as the (power) vacuum is very dangerous,鈥� he said.

Rafah border crossing

The Rafah crossing was the only one not controlled by Israel before the war. It has been closed since May 2024, when Israel took control of the Gaza side.

A fully reopened crossing would make it easier for Palestinians to seek medical treatment, travel, or visit family in Egypt, home to tens of thousands of Palestinians.

On Sunday, the Palestinian Authority鈥檚 Interior Ministry in Ramallah announced procedures for Palestinians wishing to leave or enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing. For those who want to leave, Palestinian Embassy staff from Cairo will be at the crossing to issue temporary travel documents for entry into Egypt. Palestinians who wish to enter Gaza will need to apply at the embassy.

The Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry, which doesn鈥檛 distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. The ministry maintains detailed casualty records, which are generally considered聽reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. Israel has disputed them without providing its own toll.

Thousands more people are missing, according to the Red Cross.

Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people in the attack that sparked the war.

This story was reported by The Associated Press with Samy Magdy reporting from Cairo.