An Israel Defense Forces reservist officer was seriously wounded by gunfire from Palestinian operatives in the northern Gaza Strip overnight, the military said Wednesday.

Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire, and the IDF responded with a series of strikes on Gaza, including targeting a commander in Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force who the IDF said was involved in leading the October 7, 2023, onslaught, a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander, and a Hamas terrorist who murdered a hostage soldier in captivity at the start of the war.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry, the strikes killed at least 21 people.

Despite a US-brokered truce entering its second phase last month, violence has continued in the Gaza Strip, with Israel and the Hamas terror group each accusing the other of breaching the agreement that came into effect on October 10, 2025.

The latest bloodshed came days after Israel reopened the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt — the only exit for Gazans that does not pass through Israel.

According to the IDF, troops of the Alexandroni Brigade came under fire from multiple gunmen during operations on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line, which splits the Strip between areas controlled by Israel and Hamas.

In response, the military said, tanks opened fire on the gunmen, and airstrikes were carried out in the area, in eastern Gaza City.

The seriously wounded officer was taken to a hospital, and his family was notified.

The IDF said the incident was a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire, though Hamas later rejected accusations that it was behind the overnight attack, and in turn accused Israel of breaking the truce.

In a statement, Hamas said Israel’s “claims of a shooting targeting one of its soldiers are nothing more than a pretext to continue the killing of our people,” and adds that the IDF strikes “represent deliberate sabotage of efforts to establish a ceasefire.”

In response to the incident, the IDF carried out several airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning, including one that killed Bilal Abu Assi, whom the military identified as a platoon commander in the Nukhba Force, Hamas’s elite unit that spearheaded the October 7 invasion.

According to the military, Abu Assi led the invasion of Kibbutz Nir Oz during the onslaught, during which dozens of civilians were murdered and abducted.

Abu Assi was also likely involved in holding the bodies of hostages in Gaza during the war, as well as advancing attacks on troops, the IDF said, adding that it was aware........

© The Times of Israel