Palestinian terrorists violated the ceasefire in Gaza 14 times between November 22 and November 26, and 46 times since its implementation on October 10, according to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reports.
Notably, on November 22, an armed terrorist driving on a designated humanitarian road crossed the Yellow Line that demarcates the Israeli-controlled side of Gaza. The attacker exited his vehicle and opened fire at IDF troops, but was eliminated without Israeli casualties, the IDF said. In retaliation, the Israeli military launched targeted strikes that eliminated five senior Hamas officials, including Abu Abdullah al Hudaydi, an operational staff commander of Hamas’s military wing, and Alaa Hadidi, Hamas’s weapons supply commander.
“The Trump administration backs the Israeli retaliatory strikes in Gaza today,” a US official said after the strikes. “The attack was at an area of [a] recently reopened humanitarian aid gate. Israel has a policy, agreed upon with the mediators, that ceasefire violations will be met with an immediate response.”
Hamas subsequently decried the Israeli strikes as a ceasefire violation and reportedly initially threatened that the “ceasefire [was] over,” before another Hamas official walked back the statement later in the day.
The incident threatened to upset the fragile ceasefire, but the situation in Gaza calmed following the weekend violence. Nevertheless, violations of the truce continued. Below is a list of all violations of the ceasefire by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups between November 22 and November 26 that the IDF has reported:
- On November 22, an armed terrorist fired at Israeli troops from a humanitarian access road, documented with video footage published by the IDF. The attacker was eliminated, according to an IDF statement.
- Later on November 22, the IDF said that it had “eliminated 3 terrorists, likely the same individuals who exited […] underground terror infrastructure” during an attempted escape of the Rafah tunnels the previous day. Two other militants were eliminated in a separate strike, bringing the total number killed in the incident to five, according to the IDF.
- Also on November 22, the IDF stated it had “eliminated 2 terrorists who crossed the yellow line and advanced toward IDF soldiers, posing an immediate threat to them.”
- On November 24, the IDF said that “Kfir Brigade combat team forces identified earlier today a terrorist who crossed the yellow line and approached IDF forces operating in Khan Yunis.” The individual was struck by Israeli Air Force assets, according to the IDF.
- In an additional incident near Khan Younis on November 24, the IDF said that “forces identified two terrorists who crossed the yellow line and approached IDF forces.” The Israeli Air Force also struck these individuals.
- Later on November 24, the IDF said that “troops identified several terrorists crossing the yellow line and approaching our troops in northern Gaza, posing an immediate threat to them. In a separate incident in the same area on the same day, the IDF stated that “additional terrorists attempted to approach IDF troops,” adding that Israeli “forces responded and eliminated two terrorists [in total from both incidents] to remove the threat.”
- On November 25, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) of delaying the return of an Israeli hostage as stipulated by the ceasefire’s terms. “In light of the announcement by the Islamic Jihad regarding the discovery of remains of a deceased hostage, Israel views with utmost seriousness the delay in their immediate transfer to its hands,” Netanyahu said. “This constitutes an additional violation of the agreement. Israel demands the immediate return of the three deceased hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.” The previous day, PIJ had announced that it had located the body of a hostage. After Netanyahu’s pressure, PIJ returned the body, later identified as Dror Or.
- On November 25, Israeli troops “identified a terrorist who crossed the yellow line and approached IDF forces operating in the northern Strip […] the forces fired and eliminated the terrorist in order to remove the threat,” the IDF stated.
- Later on November 25, the IDF said that troops from its Nahal Brigade had identified and eliminated five armed individuals emerging from tunnels in the “Rafah Pocket.”
- On November 26, the IDF said that six additional terrorists had emerged from tunnels in Rafah. Two individuals were captured by the IDF, and four others were eliminated.
- Also on November 26, the IDF said that it had struck a Hamas terrorist “who planned to carry out a sniper plot against IDF forces in the northern Gaza Strip in the immediate timeframe.”
- Later on November 26, a PIJ member was eliminated after “approaching IDF forces operating in [the] southern Gaza Strip, in a manner that posed an immediate threat to them,” according to the IDF.
- In a separate incident on November 26, a Palestinian “crossed the Yellow Line and approached IDF forces operating in the area. Upon identification, forces belonging to the IDF’s Southern Brigade eliminated the terrorist,” the IDF stated.
The week of November 22 to 26 marked a substantial increase in the frequency of ceasefire violations since the deal was signed.
