JERUSALEM/GAZA/CAIRO/TEHERAN - Military escalation in Gaza between Israel and Hamas has resulted in at least 46 deaths on Sunday, despite an ongoing ceasefire agreement, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources.
The Israeli army said in a statement that two of its soldiers were killed in a Hamas attack early in the day. During the incident, Hamas fired an anti-tank missile and opened fire on Israeli troops dismantling infrastructure in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
In response to the reported attack, the IDF launched a series of airstrikes and artillery shelling across various areas of the Gaza Strip.
Gaza's health authorities said at least 44 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli attacks.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for the Gaza Civil Defense, told Xinhua that field crews responded to more than 20 distress calls since morning hours.
Later on Sunday evening, the Israeli army announced it had resumed the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a statement that "the Israel Defense Forces have begun reapplying the ceasefire agreement in accordance with directives from the political level, following a series of significant airstrikes carried out in response to Hamas' violation of the agreement."
Security handover
Also on Sunday, Egypt pressed Hamas to agree to a post-war security plan in Gaza as a senior delegation from the group held talks in Cairo on consolidating a fragile ceasefire, Egyptian sources said.
During the meeting with the delegation led by senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, Egyptian officials urged the group to establish a mechanism for handing over weapons and to withdraw from Gaza's security and political scene, the sources told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Under Egypt's proposal, about 1,000 Palestinian Authority (PA) police officers would be deployed in Gaza, with the force potentially expanding later with Israeli approval. The PA force would work alongside an international security contingent expected to be supervised by Egypt, the sources said.
Cairo sees the security handover as a key step toward launching the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, which it is discussing directly with Hamas without Israeli participation, the sources added.
As renewed clashes erupted in Gaza on Sunday, Egypt also urged Israel to halt military operations, recommit to the truce, and reopen all crossings to allow the flow of humanitarian aid.
Israel, for its part, has demanded the return of the bodies of Israeli hostages, while Hamas asked mediators to persuade Israel to allow excavation equipment into Gaza to help locate remains, according to the sources.
The Israeli military said on Sunday evening it had resumed implementation of the ceasefire after carrying out "a series of significant airstrikes in response to Hamas' violations."
Earlier in the day, the army said two soldiers were killed in a Hamas attack in Rafah, where militants fired an anti-tank missile and opened fire on troops dismantling infrastructure. Hamas denied involvement.
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Gaza reconstruction
Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty engaged on Sunday in a series of separate phone calls with his counterparts in Germany, Italy, Spain, and Canada to coordinate international efforts for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
During the contacts, Abdelatty focused on the preparations for the International Conference on Early Recovery, Reconstruction, and Development in Gaza, scheduled to take place in Egypt in November, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
He emphasized the critical need to begin implementing early recovery and reconstruction plans in Gaza as soon as possible, stressing that these efforts must operate within an integrated vision that preserves the rights of the Palestinian people.
Furthermore, the reconstruction process must align with the existing Arab-Islamic plan for early recovery as well as the peace plan put forward by the United States, the top Egyptian diplomat said.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Germany, Italy, Spain, and Canada expressed their appreciation for the role played by Egypt in supporting regional stability, according to the statement.
They also affirmed their commitment to continuing coordination with Cairo on all matters related to Gaza's early recovery and reconstruction, specifically in the context of preparing for the upcoming international conference.
Iran condemns Israel
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Saturday strongly condemned Israel for "frequent violations" of the ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Baghaei denounced in particular an Israeli attack Friday night on a bus carrying a Palestinian family to their home in northern Gaza, which killed 11 people, including seven children and two women, as well as Israel's refusal to reopen the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
Baghaei pointed to Israel's track record of reneging on its promises and violating other ceasefire agreements, reminding the guarantor states of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, namely the United States, Egypt, Türkiye and Qatar, of their responsibility in that regard.
He also called on the international community to take effective actions to force Israel to stop its "crimes" in Gaza, pull its forces out of the area, and ensure Gazans' access to food and other essential goods.
The war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct 7, 2023, after a surprise attack by Hamas's forces on southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken captive. The ensuing Israeli offensive in Gaza has killed more than 67,000 people and injured around 170,000, according to Gaza's health authorities.
A ceasefire, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and the United States, went into effect on Oct 10. Its first phase includes the exchange of prisoners and detainees, the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, and partial withdrawal of Israeli forces.
