The fragile ceasefire in Gaza came under strain on Sunday after Israel halted the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave “until further notice” following what it described as a Hamas violation of the truce.

Israeli forces also carried out a series of air strikes across Gaza, raising fears of renewed conflict, according to a report by AP.

An Israeli security official, speaking anonymously, said the decision came just over a week after the US-brokered ceasefire took effect, aiming to end nearly two years of fighting.

The Israeli military claimed that its troops came under fire in southern Gaza, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers, prompting retaliatory strikes that killed at least 29 Palestinians, including children.

Radical Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the military to take “strong action” against any ceasefire violations but stopped short of declaring a full return to war.

A senior Egyptian official said Cairo was engaged in “round-the-clock” talks to defuse tensions.

Hamas, which accused Israel of multiple breaches of the truce, said it had lost communication with units in Rafah and was “not responsible for incidents” in Israeli-controlled areas.

Several deadly strikes hit Gaza on Sunday, including one on a coffeehouse in Zawaida town that killed six people, and another in the Nuseirat refugee camp, where at least eight were wounded.

Additional casualties were reported in Bureij and Khan Younis, where entire families were among the dead.

Meanwhile, Israel identified the remains of two hostages — an Israeli man and a Thai worker — returned by Hamas overnight.

The Palestinian group has handed over the bodies of 12 hostages in the past week, though Israel says dozens remain unaccounted for.

Hamas negotiators arrived in Cairo to discuss the second phase of the ceasefire, which is expected to focus on disarmament, Israeli withdrawal from additional areas, and Gaza’s postwar governance.

The Rafah border crossing — closed since May after Israel seized control of its Gaza side — remains a key sticking point.

The ongoing war has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians and around 1,200 Israelis since October 2023, leaving Gaza devastated and largely uninhabitable.