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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel would retaliate after a military officer was injured by an explosion in Gazawhile Hamas denied responsibility, suggesting the explosive device was a remnant of the conflict.
In a speech at a graduation ceremony for air force pilots, Netanyahu mentioned the attack on Rafah, a part of Gaza where Israeli forces still operate, and said Hamas had made clear it had no intention of disarming as planned in the October truce agreement.
“Israel will respond accordingly,” he said.
The Israeli military said earlier that an explosive device detonated against a military vehicle in the Rafah area and that an officer was lightly injured.
Hamas said the incident occurred in an area where the Israeli army had full control and that it had warned that explosives remained in the area and elsewhere since the war, reiterating its commitment to the October 10 ceasefire.
Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi said in a previous article on X that mediators had been briefed on the issue.
Israeli delegation in Cairo
An Israeli delegation met with officials from the mediating countries in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss efforts to return the remains of the last Israeli hostage, Gaza police officer Ran Gvili, Netanyahu’s office announced Wednesday.
The delegation included officials from the Israeli military, the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service and the Mossad intelligence service.
A 20-point plan released by U.S. President Donald Trump in September calls for an initial truce followed by steps toward broader peace. So far, only the first phase has taken effect, including a ceasefire, the release of hostages and prisoners and a partial withdrawal by Israel.
WATCH | Challenges to the ceasefire identified when it was first announced:
Chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton speaks with Nathan Brown of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace about the challenges remaining in the peace deal between Israel and Hamas. Additionally, Roger Carstens, former US presidential special envoy for hostage affairs, discusses what this means for regional stability.
Trump’s plan ultimately calls for the disarmament of Hamas and its withdrawal from any governing role in Gaza, as well as Israel’s withdrawal. Hamas has said it will only hand over weapons once a Palestinian state is established, something Israel says it will never allow.
Violence has decreased but has not stopped since the Gaza truce came into force on October 10, with the parties regularly accusing each other of violating the ceasefire. Gaza’s health ministry says Israel has killed more than 400 people in the territory since the ceasefire took effect. Three Israeli soldiers were killed in militant attacks.
Hamas “is openly declaring that it has no intention of disarming, in direct contradiction to President Trump’s 20-point plan,” Netanyahu said.
Trump and Netanyahu to meet to discuss next phase
Netanyahu said Hezbollah in Lebanon, which Israel severely weakened in strikes last year that also resulted in a U.S.-brokered truce, also had no plans to disarm “and we are also tackling this problem.”
Israel still needs to settle scores with the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen as well as Iran itself, he added.
“As these old threats change shape, new threats arise morning and evening. We do not seek confrontation, but our eyes are open to all possible dangers,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu is expected to meet with Trump next week, primarily to discuss the next phase of the US president’s plan for Gaza.
Hamas said in a statement on Wednesday that a delegation led by its chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, discussed Gaza with the Turkish foreign minister in Ankara.
Al-Hayya warned of what he described as continued Israeli ceasefire violations, saying they were aimed at hindering the move to the next phase of the ceasefire agreement.
