Ceasefire Strains After Israeli Strikes Kill Two Soldiers

Israeli airstrikes across southern Gaza resumed after militants fired on IDF troops dismantling infrastructure in Rafah and two Israeli soldiers were killed; the IDF said it struck dozens of Hamas targets including tunnels and weapons depots. Gaza health authorities and residents reported dozens of Palestinian deaths and many injuries, and Israel briefly suspended humanitarian aid transfers and kept the Rafah crossing closed. Hamas has denied responsibility but has been accused by critics and Israeli officials of failing to return all hostage remains, carrying out executions of political opponents, and resisting disarmament. U.S. officials have warned of regional repercussions, with reports that some Middle Eastern allies offered to join a military operation, and U.S. envoys are reportedly pursuing a 20-point plan that includes an international stabilization force and a weapons “buyback” tied to amnesty and disavowal of violence. Mediators from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey remain involved in talks, but continued clashes, internecine violence in Gaza, and disputed compliance leave the ceasefire precarious and dependent on sustained international enforcement.