By SCM Staff Writer I Sunday, October 19, 2025
GAZA, Palestine – The Israeli military has declared the renewed enforcement of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, following a day of intense airstrikes that killed at least 20 Palestinians in Rafah.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement late Saturday, asserting the move was “in accordance with the directive of the political echelon, and following a series of significant strikes in response to Hamas’ violations.”
The military stressed it would “continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement and will respond firmly to any violation of it.”
The announcement of renewed enforcement came after the IDF conducted approximately 20 strikes in the Rafah area, resulting in the deaths of 20 Palestinians and injuring many more, according to local reports.
These strikes were described by the IDF as a response to what it deemed violations of the existing truce by the militant group Hamas. The extent and nature of Hamas’ alleged violations were not immediately detailed by the Israeli military.
The latest escalation and subsequent declaration of renewed truce enforcement underscore the fragile nature of the ceasefire in the region, which has been punctuated by sporadic violence and intense military operations since its inception.
Simultaneously, the IDF announced a grim update on its own casualties, stating it had received the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed during fighting in the southern Gaza Strip adding that the families of the fallen have been notified, and their names were subsequently cleared for publication.
The soldiers were identified as:
Major Yaniv Kula, 26, from Modi’in-Maccabim-Reut, a company commander in the 932nd battalion, Nachal Brigade.
Staff Sergeant Itay Yavetz, 21, also from Modi’in-Maccabim-Reut, a combat soldier in the Erez Leadership Program, in the 932nd battalion, Nachal Brigade.
Both soldiers fell “during combat in the southern Gaza Strip,” the IDF stated, without providing further details on the circumstances of their deaths.
The announcement brings a somber reality to the ongoing conflict, even as the military commits to upholding the ceasefire.
The two deaths are the first announced in several days, serving as a reminder of the continuous, deadly toll of the conflict for both sides, even as diplomatic efforts work to stabilize the truce.
