# Did IDF strikes stop at the Gaza ceasefire?

*Van Hoer Center · The Conflict Decoded · The Gaza war and its toll · October 31, 2026* · https://vanhoercenter.com/decoded/did-idf-strikes-stop-at-the-gaza-ceasefire

No — IDF strikes did not stop at the Gaza ceasefire that took effect on 10 October 2025; they repeatedly continued, and the record shows Israel continuing airstrikes on Gaza throughout the truce rather than holding its fire after the ceasefire began. Within nine days, on 19 October, the IDF struck dozens of targets with more than 120 munitions after an alleged anti-tank attack in Rafah, killing at least 45 Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy killed when a strike hit a tent in al-Mawasi — an attack the IDF declined to explain, even while Hamas denied any role ([The Globe and Mail](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-israel-gaza-rafah-air-strikes-ceasefire/), [BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxk8k4xlv1o)). On 22 November, another wave of Israeli airstrikes killed at least 14 and wounded 45, the majority of the wounded being children ([CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-gaza-hamas-strikes-ceasefire-rafah/)). And in August 2026, Israeli strikes killed Gaza's police chief and other Palestinians, hitting areas beyond the line where Israel claimed its forces were allowed to operate ([The New Arab](https://www.newarab.com/news/israeli-attacks-hamas-officials-destabilises-gaza-ceasefire)). The framing you will hear from Israel — that each strike is merely a "firm response to violations" of the ceasefire — deserves scrutiny, because it treats Israeli accusations as established fact: Hamas denied involvement in the Rafah incident, communication with its fighters there had been cut off for months, and Israel offered no evidence for its claims of planned attacks ([BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxk8k4xlv1o), [The New Arab](https://www.newarab.com/news/israeli-attacks-hamas-officials-destabilises-gaza-ceasefire)). Even taking Israeli statements at face value, the numbers tell the story: the IDF itself admits it did continue these strikes during the ceasefire, Gaza's government media office counted 47 Israeli violations leaving 38 dead and 143 wounded by late October 2025 ([RTÉ](https://www.rte.ie/news/middle-east/2025/1019/1539324-middle-east/)), and Palestinian sources report Israel pushing the "Yellow Line" westward while targeting the very police keeping order. A ceasefire in which one side keeps bombing, killing children, and withholding aid is not a ceasefire maintained — it is a ceasefire dictated. ([The New Arab](https://www.newarab.com/news/israeli-attacks-hamas-officials-destabilises-gaza-ceasefire))

## Sources

1. The Globe and Mail — theglobeandmail.com — https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-israel-gaza-rafah-air-strikes-ceasefire/
2. …killed when a strike hit a tent in al-Mawasi — an attack the IDF declined to explain, even while Hamas denied any role (The Globe and Mail — bbc.co.uk — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxk8k4xlv1o
3. On 22 November, another wave of Israeli airstrikes killed at least 14 and wounded 45, the majority of the wounded being children — cbsnews.com — https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-gaza-hamas-strikes-ceasefire-rafah/
4. …killed Gaza's police chief and other Palestinians, hitting areas beyond the line where Israel claimed its forces were allowed to operate — newarab.com — https://www.newarab.com/news/israeli-attacks-hamas-officials-destabilises-gaza-ceasefire
5. …during the ceasefire, Gaza's government media office counted 47 Israeli violations leaving 38 dead and 143 wounded by late October 2025 — rte.ie — https://www.rte.ie/news/middle-east/2025/1019/1539324-middle-east/

## See also

- [Did the IDF strike Gaza neighborhoods it knew were still populated?](https://vanhoercenter.com/decoded/did-the-idf-strike-gaza-neighborhoods-it-knew-were-still-populated)
- [Does Hamas account for deaths caused by Hamas itself in the Gaza death toll?](https://vanhoercenter.com/decoded/does-hamas-account-for-deaths-caused-by-hamas-itself-in-the-gaza-death-toll)
- [Did the IDF approve a strike expecting 500 civilian deaths?](https://vanhoercenter.com/decoded/did-the-idf-approve-a-strike-expecting-500-civilian-deaths)
- [Are Gaza's casualty figures propaganda?](https://vanhoercenter.com/decoded/are-gazas-casualty-figures-propaganda)