Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 28, 2025 ordered “immediate and powerful strikes” in the Gaza Strip after an Israeli military official said Hamas violated a U.S.-brokered ceasefire by attacking Israel Defense Forces soldiers in Rafah.
His office announced the directive following security consultations, saying the military echelon had been instructed to act at once.
Israeli authorities said details of the latest incident were still being compiled and would be released when operationally feasible.
What Israel says happened
According to an Israeli military official, Hamas operatives opened fire on IDF troops operating in the southern Gaza City of Rafah, a sector where tunnel networks and sniper positions have complicated routine patrols. The official described the contact as a breach of the truce that took effect earlier this month.
The statement from Netanyahu’s office made clear that the response would be swift, signaling a punitive approach intended to deter further violations while keeping broader ceasefire architecture technically intact.
The decision reflects ongoing concerns inside the Israeli security establishment about Rafah’s dense urban terrain and the presence of cross-border smuggling infrastructure. Commanders have kept engineering units and excavation vehicles in the area to expose tunnel shafts and interdict routes used by militant cells.
That posture, while central to Israel’s countertunnel campaign, has also made crews a frequent target for small-arms, anti-tank, and mortar fire.
The ceasefire framework under strain
A U.S.-mediated ceasefire took effect October 10, 2025, pausing large-scale combat after nearly two years of war that began in October 2023. Under the arrangement, hostages were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and liaison channels were set up to manage incidents. Both sides pledged to refrain from offensive operations while the exchanges proceeded in phases.
Israeli officials say that although the truce lowered the tempo of violence, militants in the south have probed the lines around Rafah. Palestinian sources have accused Israel of responding with disproportionate force to localized incidents.
That dynamic has left the agreement vulnerable to rapid escalation if any clash produces fatalities or visible infrastructure damage. Netanyahu’s order on Tuesday is a test of whether targeted strikes can coexist with the truce or whether they trigger a wider unraveling.
The Oct. 19 Rafah attack and its aftermath
Tuesday’s decision follows a deadly incident earlier this month. On October 19, two IDF soldiers were killed by terror operatives in Rafah and a reserve soldier was severely wounded. The fallen were identified as Maj. Yaniv Kula, 26, a company commander in the 932nd Battalion of the Nahal Brigade, and Staff Sgt. Itay Yavetz, 21, a combat soldier in the same battalion. Both were based in Modi’in-Maccabim-Reut.
An initial IDF investigation found that a militant cell emerged from a tunnel and fired at an excavation vehicle, igniting a firefight that drew additional forces. In response, Israel launched air and ground strikes across southern Gaza. The IDF said it dismantled six kilometers of underground terrorist infrastructure using more than 120 munitions, describing the network as a site used to advance attacks against Israel.
Those numbers, unusual for a single sector operation, illustrate the scale at which the military has sought to deny tunnel mobility in and around Rafah.
What “immediate and powerful” likely means
The phrase suggests a concentrated campaign of precision airstrikes against firing positions, tunnel access points, and command nodes, paired with counter-sniper and artillery measures to suppress hostile fire.
Limited ground pushes to seize or destroy tactical vantage points near critical routes are also possible. The aim would be to impose costs on the responsible cell and its enablers without formally collapsing the ceasefire.
Political signaling is part of the calculation. By ordering a forceful response, the government addresses domestic pressure to defend troops and avenge recent losses. By avoiding language that declares the truce void, it leaves room for ongoing prisoner exchanges and humanitarian access. The balance is delicate. Too little response and deterrence erodes. Too much and the agreement that has stabilized parts of Gaza may fracture.
Humanitarian and civilian risk
Any uptick in strikes in dense neighborhoods around Rafah raises civilian protection concerns. Aid organizations have warned that even short operations can disrupt medical evacuations, food distribution, and shelter access, particularly along roads used by relief convoys.
The ceasefire created space for larger deliveries and coordination with international partners. Renewed combat will strain those efforts unless corridors and notification systems remain intact.
Israeli officials say targeting focuses on militants and infrastructure used for attacks, and that warnings are issued where possible. Palestinian health authorities typically release casualty figures quickly after strikes, but independent verification can lag, especially when operations continue over several hours.
That fog of war will likely persist if exchanges intensify, making confirmed information slower to emerge.
