LocalNet
  • Start Page|
  • My Account|
  • Webmail|
  • Help
  • Top Stories
  • US News
  • International
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Business / Finance
  • Health
  • Science
  • Technology
  • Offbeat News
New
LocalNet
Webmail!
High Speed DSL. As Low as $19.95 per month, click to learn more!

A blast in Gaza wounds a soldier and Israel accuses Hamas of ceasefire violation

By JULIA FRANKEL  -  AP

JERUSALEM (AP) — 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 ceasefire's second 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.

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.”

___

Find more of AP’s Israel-Hamas coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.

...

----------
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 
News content provided by the Associated Press. Weather content provided by AccuWeather
© 1994-2025 LocalNet Corp. All Rights Reserved