Israeli forces conducted a drone strike on a car in central Gaza on Saturday, wounding at least four people, in an incident that threatens the fragile US-backed ceasefire. The Israeli military described the action as a "targeted strike" against a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad who was allegedly planning an attack on Israeli troops. Witnesses reported the vehicle was set ablaze in the attack. This incident occurs amidst a series of recent violations that have strained the truce, with both Israel and Hamas trading accusations over breaches of the agreement.
The strike follows a dangerous flare-up over the weekend, during which Israel accused Hamas of an attack that killed two Israeli soldiers. In response, the Israeli military carried out waves of airstrikes across Gaza, which Palestinian hospitals reported killed dozens of Palestinians. These tit-for-tat actions have raised international concerns about the stability of the ceasefire, which has held for 12 days and is a cornerstone of a broader US-proposed peace plan. US Vice President JD Vance, who is currently in the region to shore up the deal, has stated that the ceasefire's implementation is "going better than expected," but also warned that "if Hamas does not co-operate, it will be obliterated".
The ongoing violence and the devastating two-year war have created a humanitarian and logistical nightmare, particularly for the task of recovering the bodies of deceased hostages. Hamas has committed to returning the remains of all hostages under the ceasefire agreement but has stated it faces "extreme difficulty" in these efforts. The group says that a lack of specialist equipment and the sheer amount of rubble from Israeli bombardment make locating bodies challenging. In a significant policy reversal aimed at facilitating this process, several Israeli media reported that Egypt has been allowed to send officials into Gaza to assist in locating and recovering the bodies. To date, Hamas has returned 15 of the 28 deceased hostages outlined in the deal.
The broader context for these incidents is a conflict that has left Gaza in ruins. The UN's World Food Programme has emphasized that sustaining the ceasefire is "vital" for delivering life-saving aid, though current deliveries still fall short of needs. The territory's health system has been shattered, and clearing the vast quantities of unexploded ordnance is expected to take decades. As US envoys work to advance the next phases of the peace plan, which involves establishing an interim government and the disarmament of Hamas.