Hamas…Israel 10/19/2025…IDF Resumes Some Hamas Attacks….

The escalation Sunday was the most serious challenge yet to an already tenuous ceasefire backed by the United States. Israel and Hamas signed on to the first phase of the deal, which required Israel to partially withdraw troops, allow the free flow of humanitarian aid and release a specific number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

For its part, Hamas agreed to release the remaining hostages it abducted in the attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, including the bodies of those who either died that day or were killed in captivity. So far, the group has freed 20 living hostages and the remains of 12 others. Hamas has said it will take time to find and exhume the bodies of 16 others without specialized equipment…

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“The agreement is only a piece of paper and there are a lot of grey areas. As today proves, the war is not over yet,” said Sharon, a reservist soldier who spoke on the condition he be identified only by his first name in line with military protocol. Stationed on the border with Gaza on Sunday, Sharon said he has served more than 360 days in the enclave since the war began….

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• The fragile ceasefire in Gaza faced its first big test Sunday as an Israeli security official said the transfer of aid into the territory was halted “until further notice” after a Hamas ceasefire violation, and Israeli forces launched a wave of strikes.

• Gaza’s civil defence agency and hospitals said a series of Israeli airstrikes across the territory killed at least 45 people on Sunday, updating an earlier toll of 33, according to AFP.

• The Israeli military said it had struck dozens of Hamas targets across the Gaza Strip, as Israel and Hamas accused each other of violating the nine-day-old ceasefire.

• The Israeli military later said it had begun resuming enforcement of the Gaza ceasefire, signalling an end to strikes on the territory that it said were carried out in response to earlier attacks on its forces on Sunday.

• Hamas claimed to have located the body of another Israeli hostage, saying it intends to hand over the remains to Israel if “field conditions allow”. The group warned that continued airstrikes and shelling would make such transfers impossible. The IDF claims that Hamas withholding bodies of hostages violates the ceasefire agreement.

• Hamas dismissed a statement from the US state department that accused the group of planning an imminent attack in Gaza, calling the allegation “false” and “aligned with misleading Israeli propaganda”.

• The Israeli military said two soldiers were killed in combat in southern Gaza on Sunday, AFP reported…

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Update…

Vice President JD Vance is expected to visit Israel this week as part of a push by the Trump administration for the implementation of the agreement to end the Gaza war, four Israeli officials and one U.S. official with knowledge of the plan said.

Why it matters: The implementation of the first phase of the deal was mostly successful with the release of 20 live Israeli hostages, close to 2000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees released, an initial Israeli withdrawal from large parts of Gaza and a ceasefire.

• At the same time, the deal is still extremely fragile and tensions have been growing over Israeli claims that Hamas has been slow-walking the return of the hostages’ bodies.
• The situation on the ground is still highly volatile, with Hamas conducting deadly retaliations as it tries to restore its hold over parts of Gaza.
• And while initial work has begun on implementing the second phase of the deal, there are still many unknowns about the key questions of disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza.

Driving the news: On Friday morning, U.S. officials told Axios that White House envoy Steve Witkoff was expected to travel to the Middle East on Sunday to follow up on the implementation of the deal to end the war.

• But on Friday night, the White House told the Israeli prime minister’s office that Vance would be leading the U.S. delegation, Israeli officials said.
• On Saturday, the VP’s office told the Israelis that Vance would arrive on Tuesday and stay until Thursday, two Israeli officials said….

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