Palestinian terrorists have violated the Gaza ceasefire 10 times between January 22 and February 4 and 99 times in total since the truce’s implementation last October, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
In a notable incident, Israel conducted strikes throughout Gaza in the early hours of February 4 after Hamas terrorists opened fire on IDF soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip, seriously wounding one officer. The attack happened near the Yellow Line, which demarcates Hamas-held territory from ground held by Israel in the coastal enclave.
Twenty people were reportedly killed during Israel’s retaliatory strikes, including some civilians, according to the Hamas-run Civil Defense Agency and other Palestinian sources in Gaza. The IDF later stated that it regretted “any harm [caused] to uninvolved individuals.” Israel said that one individual whom it had targeted in the airstrikes was Bilal Abu Aasi, a commander in Hamas’s elite Nukhba forces who had “led the raid on Kibbutz Nir Oz” during the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Later, Israel confirmed that he had been killed in the attack.
Israel also eliminated Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander Ali Razayneh during a targeted strike in the Deir al Balah area of Gaza. Additionally, the IDF eliminated Muhammad Assam Hasan Habi, a Hamas commander who murdered IDF soldier Corporal Noa Marciano during her captivity as a hostage after she was kidnapped on October 7, 2023.
Last weekend, a similar scenario played out. According to the IDF, eight terrorists were spotted emerging from tunnels in Rafah on January 29, in the same area from which previous attacks had been carried out against IDF troops. Israel launched retaliatory air strikes across Gaza on January 31, killing 32 people, including some civilians, according to the Hamas-run civil defense agency in Gaza. Israel said that it had struck targets that included “four commanders and additional terrorists,” as well as weapons storage facilities and production sites.
After the Rafah Crossing on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt opened on February 2 this week to limited pedestrian traffic, phase two of President Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan officially began. However, the US-brokered truce is facing funding issues. Reuters reported on February 4 that countries and private donors were wary of financially backing the plan until a framework to disarm Hamas materializes.
“Countries want to see the funding will go to reconstruction within demilitarized places, and not to throw the money into another war zone,” one source told the outlet. Hamas is still estimated to retain rockets and thousands of light arms.
As phase two began, Palestinian terrorists continued to violate the US-brokered truce. Below is a list of all violations of the ceasefire by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups between January 22 and February 4, according to IDF reports:
- On January 24, the IDF stated that troops operating in northern Gaza “identified several terrorists who crossed the Yellow Line” and planted an explosive charge in the area before approaching troops “in a manner that posed an immediate threat.” The Israeli Air Force eliminated the individuals, according to the IDF.
- On January 28, the IDF said that one day earlier, on January 27, troops with the 188th Brigade operating in southern Gaza had “identified a terrorist who crossed the yellow line and approached forces in a manner that posed an immediate threat.” The Israeli Air Force eliminated the individual, according to the statement.
- On January 29, the IDF said that it had struck “a Hamas terrorist who was planning to carry out a terrorist attack against IDF forces” in Gaza “imminently.” The IDF statement reported that the individual was struck to “remove the threat.”
- Also on January 29, the IDF reported that “eight terrorists … emerged” from tunnels in eastern Rafah in southern Gaza. Three of the individuals were eliminated by the Israeli Air Force, according to the statement, while further strikes on additional terrorists were under review. Subsequently, on January 30, the IDF reported that a “central commander” in Hamas’s East Rafah Battalion was detained while attempting to flee from tunnels. The IDF carried out strikes across Gaza in response to the violation, targeting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad commanders and infrastructure, according to a statement.
- On January 30, the IDF stated that soldiers with the Kfir Brigade operating in central Gaza had “identified four armed terrorists near the Yellow Line who approached the forces in a manner that posed an immediate threat.” The statement said that the Israeli Air Force eliminated the individuals to “remove the threat.”
- On February 1, the IDF reported that forces with the 7th Brigade operating in southern Gaza had “identified several terrorists near the Yellow Line who approached forces in a manner that posed an immediate threat.” According to the statement, the troops had fired toward the individuals, eliminating one.
- On February 2, the IDF said that soldiers with the Alexandroni Brigade operating in northern Gaza had “identified four terrorists operating near the Yellow Line and approaching the forces in a manner that constituted an immediate threat.” Israel said that all four were eliminated shortly thereafter.
- On February 4, the IDF reported that terrorists had fired at soldiers belonging to the Alexandroni Brigade near the Yellow Line in northern Gaza, seriously injuring one reservist officer. Later, the IDF carried out retaliatory strikes across Gaza.
- Also on February 4, the IDF published drone footage of what it said were Hamas terrorists “systematically” utilizing ambulances to transfer terror operatives and weapons from a hospital to a school in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza. The IDF did not attack the terrorists, even though they looked to be rearming under Israel’s watch along the Yellow Line, as they were still in Hamas-held territory.
