Israel continues its attacks despite Gaza’s truce

(MENAFN) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed on Sunday that Israel will independently decide when and where to conduct strikes and which countries may participate in an international security force in Gaza, even as Egyptian recovery teams entered the territory.

Footage from Khan Yunis in southern Gaza showed an Egyptian convoy carrying heavy machinery to aid in the search for the remains of deceased Israeli hostages trapped in the rubble. Bulldozers, mechanical diggers, and tipper trucks flew the Egyptian flag and sounded horns en route to an Egyptian aid committee in Al Zawayda.

Under a US-brokered ceasefire, Israel has begun withdrawing forces to the so-called “Yellow Line” after two years of intense fighting with Hamas. An international force, expected mainly from Arab or Muslim countries, is planned to help secure Gaza. However, Israel has resisted any participation from regional rival Turkey, and Netanyahu emphasized that the country will determine which forces are acceptable.

"We made clear with respect to international forces that Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us," Netanyahu said during a government meeting in Jerusalem, reaffirming Israel’s independent security stance.

Humanitarian organizations continue to report limited access for aid convoys, leaving many families struggling with food shortages. AFP reporters followed 62-year-old Hiam Muqdad and her family in Gaza City, where they live in a tent beside their destroyed home. Muqdad described the mixed emotions brought by the ceasefire: "When they said there was a truce, oh my God, a tear of joy and a tear of sadness fell from my eye. The child's dream is gone. In the past they used to go to the park but today children play on the rubble."

Although Israel has pulled back to the Yellow Line, it still controls over half of Gaza and continues to approve all UN aid convoys passing through its borders. Israeli forces have carried out at least two strikes since the ceasefire. Netanyahu underscored Israel’s sovereignty: "Israel is an independent state. We will defend ourselves by our own means and we will continue to determine our fate. We do not seek anyone's approval for this. We control our security."

The US and its allies have set up a ceasefire monitoring center in southern Israel and dispatched high-level officials to support the agreement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed optimism about the ceasefire holding if Hamas complies with disarmament and hands over control of Gaza. He added that the Yellow Line is not expected to become Gaza’s permanent border, noting the stabilization force aims for eventual demilitarization of the territory.

Meanwhile, Hamas has agreed to form a technocratic committee to help administer Gaza alongside reconstruction efforts but has resisted immediate disarmament. The group continues to crack down on rival Palestinian armed factions.

Regarding hostages, Hamas confirmed it is working to return the remaining 13 bodies, including ten Israelis taken during the October 7, 2023 attack, one Israeli missing since 2014, and two foreign workers from Thailand and Tanzania. The group previously handed over 20 living hostages but warned that retrieving all the deceased may be difficult due to the extensive destruction in Gaza, where over 68,500 Palestinians have been killed, according to Hamas-run health authorities.

Egyptian recovery teams arriving on Sunday may assist in locating the bodies, though a team of 81 Turkish rescue experts has not yet received Israeli permission to enter Gaza.

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