Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the reopening of Gaza crossings within hours after the U.S. informed Israel that two IDF soldiers were killed by an Israeli bulldozer striking unexploded ordnance, contradicting Netanyahu's initial claim of a Hamas attack originating from tunnels. The White House and Pentagon were aware of the true cause of the explosion in Rafah soon after it occurred, according to a source familiar with the matter. This development followed Netanyahu's decision to block all aid from entering Gaza and launch over 100 air strikes since the morning, which a Gazan influencer claimed were in response to a trap set for the IDF to prove the ceasefire would not stop attacks. The Gaza Government Media Office stated that these actions resulted in over 30 Palestinian civilian deaths and were characterized as a "genocidal war" and "collective punishment." Over the past hour, Netanyahu reversed his decision to keep the crossings closed, a move described by a senior Israeli official as a response to "ongoing ceasefire violations" by Hamas. The U.S. administration conveyed to Israel that they possessed knowledge of the actual circumstances surrounding the Rafah incident. This communication led to Netanyahu's announcement to re-open the crossings. Mediators had previously expressed dissatisfaction with the "serious incident in Rafah" and were working to prevent future occurrences. Earlier reports from October 19th, 2025, indicated that the IDF had begun reinforcing the Gaza ceasefire following violations by Hamas, including an attack in Rafah that killed Major Yaniv Kula and Staff Sgt. Itay Yavetz. In response to these alleged violations, the IDF stated it conducted airstrikes on dozens of Hamas targets. A Gazan influencer reportedly documented violating the ceasefire to attack Israeli forces in Rafah, stating the intent was to prove Hamas would not cease attacks. The IDF's reinforcement of the ceasefire came after previous reports detailing Hamas violations, including the attack in Rafah around 10:30 a.m. local time. In response, the IDF had conducted airstrikes on dozens of Hamas targets, including underground infrastructure and weapon storage facilities. The Gaza Government Media Office claimed a significant number of Palestinian casualties since the start of the ceasefire due to alleged Israeli violations. US President Donald Trump had previously expressed optimism for the Gaza peace plan, signed on October 13th, 2025, and envisioned developing Gaza with decent housing, utilizing land in Egypt and Jordan. Special envoys Witkoff and Kushner were expected in Israel to address the ongoing tensions. The Rafah Border Crossing was to remain closed until Hamas resumed returning hostages at a reasonable pace, and humanitarian aid entry would resume once Israeli strikes ceased, according to Israeli diplomatic sources. The decision to close all crossings and halt aid was made by the political echelon in response to Hamas's "ongoing ceasefire violations," a senior Israeli official stated.
