2 Israeli soldiers killed in terrorist attack in Gaza, most serious attack since ceasefire

Two Israeli soldiers were killed and three wounded in a terrorist attack in southern Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated on October 19. Major Yaniv Kula and Staff Sergeant Itay Yavetz of the Nahal Brigade were killed in the incident, which the IDF described as “combat in the southern Gaza Strip.” The attack was the most serious in Gaza since a ceasefire began in the wake of a US-backed deal initially agreed to on October 8, 2025, in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt.

The agreement was intended to end the war in Gaza, and its first phase involved Hamas turning over all living and deceased hostages. A ceasefire has been in place since October 13. However, while 20 living hostages were freed on October 13, as of October 20, 16 deceased hostages remain held in Gaza. The bodies of 12 hostages have been returned in the seven days since the ceasefire began. 

The attack on the IDF unfolded on the morning of October 19 in Rafah in southern Gaza, an area Israel controls as part of the ceasefire deal. The location is inside the Yellow Line, the IDF’s line of control in Gaza, that the Israeli military withdrew to on October 12 as part of the agreement. The terrorists targeted soldiers operating engineering equipment with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and sniper fire.

“The [Israeli] military launched a wave of intense attacks on Hamas in response, with the violence leaving the fragile ceasefire teetering after less than a week,” The Times of Israel reported. Among the sites struck by the IDF was a tunnel system used by Hamas. The system was several kilometers long, and the Israeli military used 120 munitions to dismantle it in the strikes. In addition, several squads of terrorists were also targeted. The IDF called the October 19 attack a “blatant” violation of the ceasefire agreement.

In response to the attack, the Israeli government briefly decided to close crossings to Gaza and cut off humanitarian aid entering the area. The decision was reversed on the evening of October 19. The IDF noted that it “had begun renewed enforcement of the ceasefire” after the strikes against Hamas.

Hamas claimed that it was “unaware” of the attack on Israeli forces, according to a BBC report. “Hamas had said it was committed to the ceasefire, but accused Israel of violations and warned strikes could ‘push the situation toward a total collapse,’” the BBC added.

On October 20, incidents continued to strain the ceasefire. The IDF fired on several terrorists that it said had crossed the Yellow Line and approached Israeli troops in the Shujaiya neighborhood of Gaza. The incident unfolded as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Israel for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials. Witkoff and Kushner are also expected to meet families of hostages. In addition, US Vice President JD Vance is expected to arrive in Israel on October 21 as the White House attempts to maintain progress on the Gaza deal.

Since October 17, the Israeli Ministry of Defense has been demarcating the Yellow Line, which is marked with yellow signs, as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal. The IDF now controls around 50 percent of Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the IDF to convey a message about encroaching on this boundary to Hamas leaders in Gaza through the American oversight mechanism established as part of the deal.

“Any Hamas terrorist who is beyond the Yellow Line in Israeli-controlled territory must evacuate immediately. Hamas leaders will be held responsible for any incident. […] Anyone who remains in the area will be targeted for attack without further warning, in order to allow IDF forces to act freely and immediately in the face of any threat,” Katz stated.

The IDF prepared to receive more deceased hostages from Gaza on October 20 after receiving two sets of remains that were transferred to Israel overnight between October 18 and 19. The bodies were sent to Israel’s National Institute for Forensic Medicine to be identified. The IDF later confirmed them to be Sonthaya Oakkharasri, a Thai citizen, and Ronen Tommy Engel, an Israeli. Both were killed and kidnapped on October 7, 2023.

Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDD’s Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7 War: Israel’s Battle for Security in Gaza (2024).