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Escalation in Gaza: Israel airstrikes Rafah, Ben-Gvir calls to restart war

Published October 19th, 2025 - 09:49 GMT
Hamas
Smoke billows as Israeli airstrikes destroy the al-Ghafari tower in Gaza City on September 15, 2025. Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA / AFP

ALBAWABA - Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to order the army to fully resume combat operations in the Gaza Strip amid the incidents in Rafah.

Ben-Gvir posted on his X account, saying, "I call on the Prime Minister to order the IDF to fully resume combat in the Gaza Strip with full intensity," adding, "The false illusions that Hamas will change its skin, or even abide by the agreement it signed, are proving, as expected, to be dangerous to our security."

This comes amid the new chaos in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, between Hamas, the Yasser Abu Shabab group and the Israeli army. 

According to some social media pages, Hamas was targeting an operation against Abu Shabab members, but the Israeli army carried out airstrikes to help them.

Reuters reported, citing an Israeli security source, that Hamas carried out multiple attacks against Israeli forces outside the "yellow line" in Gaza. Some Hebrew media said that two helicopters landed in Soroka Medical Center in Israel.

An Israeli military official told AFP that Hamas militants attacked Israeli forces, resulting in a breach of the ceasefire in the territory.

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