Trump’s truce tumbles as terror tactics trigger terrible retailiation

The fragile truce that briefly quieted the guns in Gaza is beginning to fray, revealing that while a deal can be signed on paper, deep-seated animosities and complex realities on the ground are far harder to manage.

In the days following the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, a familiar and grim pattern has reemerged: accusations fly, violence erupts, and the hope for lasting peace dims considerably.

The immediate trigger was an exchange of fire in Rafah. Israel reported that its troops came under attack from militants using rocket-propelled grenades and sniper fire, prompting retaliatory airstrikes.

Hamas, for its part, denied any connection to the clashes, claiming instead that its forces were targeting a leader of an Israel-backed militia in the same area.

Hamas’ armed wing insisted on Sunday that the group is adhering to the ceasefire agreement with Israel and was unaware of any clashes in Rafah, where the Israeli military carried out air strikes.

“We reaffirm our full commitment to implement everything that was agreed upon, foremost of which is a ceasefire across all areas of the Gaza Strip,” said a statement from the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades. “We do not know of any incidents or clashes taking place in the Rafah area, as these are red zones under the occupation’s control, and contact with the remaining groups of ours there has been cut off since the war resumed in March of this year.”

This incident—the most serious breach of the truce so far—highlights the volatility of the situation and how easily localized violence can threaten to unravel the agreement, especially when both sides remain armed, distrustful, and in close proximity.

Beyond the direct clashes, the ceasefire is being tested by a deeply contentious and emotional issue: the return of the deceased. Israel contends that Hamas is violating the agreement by delaying the handover of the remains of hostages, and in response has kept the critical Rafah border crossing closed “until further notice.”

Hamas counters that it lacks the heavy machinery required to recover bodies buried deep beneath the rubble of a two-year war—an enormous task in a territory choked with millions of tons of debris.

This standoff has stalled aid deliveries, prolonged family anguish, and left the ceasefire held hostage to a grim logistical impasse.

Adding to the strain is the power vacuum within Gaza itself. With no functioning government in place, Hamas has moved to reassert control, engaging in deadly street battles with rival Palestinian armed factions and carrying out public executions of those it accuses of collaborating with Israel.

This internal struggle for dominance creates a chaotic and violent environment that threatens the stability of any truce.

The proposed plan for an interim committee of Palestinian technocrats to administer the territory remains just that—a plan, with no timeline or clear authority.

The path forward, as laid out in the broader ceasefire proposal, was always expected to be treacherous. The next phases—which call for Hamas’s disarmament and the establishment of a new governing authority for Gaza—are far more complex than the initial exchange of captives.

As one analyst noted, “The easy part has been done.”

The events of recent days underscore just how difficult the rest will be. A ceasefire can pause a war, but it cannot, by itself, resolve the root conflicts or answer the profound questions of security, governance, and justice that have haunted the region for generations.

The truce is not yet broken—but it is cracking under the weight of immense and unresolved challenges.