A suspected Israeli settler drove a bulldozer into Rafah on Sunday, raising alarm after Netanyahu called to halt aid to Gaza amid conflicting reports of the event.
Israeli forces report shelling in Rafah
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that Israeli soldiers were fired upon with mortars in Rafah, a town on the Gaza‑Egypt border. Two soldiers were reported killed, and the attack was blamed on Hamas, prompting retaliatory strikes on Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip.
Bulldozer incident reported by journalists
Journalist Ryan Grim cited White House and Pentagon sources, claiming that Israeli settlers drove a bulldozer onto a civilian target, causing an explosion. Palestinian journalist Younis Tirawi reported that a group of settlers owning demolition companies had been tearing down houses in Rafah for a week and that two settlers were injured likely by the explosive discharge.
Al Jazeera and Axios counterclaims
Al Jazeera, drawing on Trump administration sources, stated that U.S. officials said no Hamas militants emerged from tunnels and that the incident involved an Israeli bulldozer striking a civilian target. Axios’ Barak Ravid reported that Netanyahu reversed a previous decision to close border crossings after pressure from the Trump administration.
Trump comments on ceasefire and attack
President Donald Trump confirmed that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains in effect. He suggested that Hamas leadership was not involved in the attack on Israeli troops in southern Gaza and vowed that talks with Hamas would be peaceful, while the recent assault would be dealt with severely.
