JERUSALEM — An explosive device detonated in Gaza on Wednesday, injuring one Israeli soldier and prompting Israel to accuse Hamas of violating the U.S.-backed ceasefire. It was the latest incident to threaten the tenuous truce that has held since Oct. 10 as each side accuses the other of violations.
The blast came as Hamas met with Turkish officials in Ankara to discuss the second stage of the ceasefire. Though the agreement has mostly held, its progress has slowed.
All but one of the 251 hostages taken in the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war have been released, alive or dead, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The mother of the last hostage whose remains are still in Gaza called for their return before negotiators move to the ceasefire’s second phase.
That phase has even bigger challenges: the deployment of an international stabilization force, a technocratic governing body for Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and further Israeli troop withdrawals from the territory.
Israel vows to ‘respond accordingly’
Israel’s military said the explosive detonated beneath a military vehicle as soldiers were “dismantling” militant infrastructure in the southern city of Rafah. The lightly injured soldier was taken to a hospital, the military said.
Hamas senior official Mahmoud Mrdawi said on social media that the blast was a result of unexploded ordnance and the group had informed mediators.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement called the incident a violation of the ceasefire and said Israel would “respond accordingly.”
Israel previously launched strikes in Gaza in response to alleged ceasefire violations. On Oct. 19, Israel said two soldiers were killed by Hamas fire and it responded with a series of strikes that killed over 40 Palestinians, according to local health officials.
Hamas accuses Israel of violating the ceasefire by not allowing enough aid into the territory and continuing to strike civilians. Palestinian health officials say over 370 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the truce.
On Friday, Israeli troops fired over the ceasefire line in northern Gaza, killing at least five Palestinians, including a baby, according to a local hospital that received the casualties.
Turkish officials meet with Hamas
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Haya to discuss the ceasefire’s second phase, according to ministry officials.
Fidan reaffirmed Turkey’s efforts to defend the rights of Palestinians and outlined ongoing efforts to address shelter and other humanitarian needs in Gaza, the officials said.
The Hamas delegation said they had fulfilled the ceasefire’s conditions but that Israel’s continued attacks were blocking progress toward the next stage. They also asserted that 60% of the trucks allowed into Gaza were carrying commercial goods rather than aid.
According to the officials, the meeting also discussed reconciliation efforts between the Palestinian factions and the situation in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, stressing that Israel’s actions there were “unacceptable.”
Family of last hostage in Gaza urges his return
Ran Gvili’s mother said she will join Netanyahu on his upcoming trip to the United States, and urged him and President Trump to not move to the ceasefire’s next phase until her son’s remains are returned — a condition of the first phase.
“I will not accept a situation where towers are being built and Gaza is being rehabilitated while my Ran is abandoned in the field,” Talik Gvili said. “I am traveling to the United States to remind everyone that Ran is not a number. He is an Israeli hero.”
The 24-year-old police officer was killed while fighting Hamas militants attacking a kibbutz on Oct. 7, 2023.
Frankel writes for the Associated Press.
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