Israel Declared It Would Respond After IDF Officer Wounded in Gaza Explosion
By The Media Line Staff
Israel signaled on Wednesday that it would respond to an explosion in southern Gaza that wounded an Israeli army officer, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of breaching the ceasefire framework and rejecting any move toward disarmament, Reuters reports.
The blast struck an Israeli armored personnel carrier operating in the Rafah area, where Israeli forces continue to conduct operations. An officer from the Golani Brigade was lightly wounded and evacuated to a hospital, and his family was informed, according to the military.
Hamas denied responsibility for the incident, suggesting the explosive device had been left behind from earlier stages of the fighting. Israeli officials rejected that explanation, saying the incident reflected an ongoing pattern of violations.
In remarks delivered during a graduation ceremony for Israeli Air Force pilots, Netanyahu referenced the Rafah incident while warning that Hamas had no intention of laying down its weapons, a requirement envisioned under the October ceasefire agreement. He said the group’s public statements and actions demonstrated continued hostility despite the truce.
Netanyahu’s office later issued a statement in English placing direct blame on Hamas and tying the incident to broader ceasefire violations. “The Hamas terror organization continues to violate the ceasefire and President Trump’s 20-point plan,” the statement said. “Their ongoing and continuing public refusal to disarm is an ongoing flagrant violation, and again today their violent intentions and violations were confirmed by their detonation of an IED that wounded an IDF officer.”
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