IDF says it carried out retaliatory Gaza strikes after terrorists breached yellow line

Although the ceasefire remains formally in place, Israeli officials have reiterated that the arrangement does not restrict defensive actions.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israel carried out a broad round of airstrikes in Gaza on Wednesday, which the military said were in response to security threats against IDF soldiers and violations of the ceasefire agreement.

Earlier Wednesday, Israeli forces operating near Khan Younis came under fire as Hamas terrorists breached the Yellow Line — the zone defined as Israeli-controlled under the truce — and opened fire.

The IDF reported no injuries but said the exchange marked “a violation of the ceasefire agreement.”

Later in the day, Israel’s air force struck a building in Gaza City’s Zeitoun district, where, according to several security sources, a senior Hamas figure was located.

Three people were killed in that attack, but it remained unclear whether the intended target was among them.

Recently, there have been several incidents in which terror cells approached IDF positions north of the Yellow Line.

According to the army, the terrorists pose an immediate danger to soldiers stationed there.

Residents of communities in the western Negev reported hearing the blasts from the Gaza strikes as Wednesday’s operation unfolded.

The IDF said the air campaign was directed exclusively at Hamas infrastructure and terrorists involved in the gunfire near Khan Younis.

Although the ceasefire remains formally in place, Israeli officials have reiterated that the arrangement does not restrict defensive actions when troops or civilians are threatened.

Commanders have pointed to multiple attempts by terror groups to probe or advance toward IDF positions in recent weeks, saying such movements require a rapid response.

The unrest comes amid concerns about the fragile cease-fire and doubts that Hamas will conform to Trump’s 20-point plan after the terror group openly refused to disarm, flouting a key provision in the agreement.

In a statement against the U.N. Security Council’s endorsement of the Trump plan earlier in the week, Hamas officials said: “Assigning the international force with tasks and roles inside the Gaza Strip, including disarming the resistance, strips it of its neutrality and turns it into a party to the conflict in favor of the occupation [Israel].” The terror group also claimed that “resisting occupation by all means is a legitimate right.”