Tel Aviv — Test fragile boundaries ceasefire The Israeli military said on Thursday that on the fifth day, troops opened fire in southern areas. Gaza Strip Masked armed suspects posing a threat to their safety. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces reported incidents in the area east of the southern Gaza city of Rafah and at the Kerem Shalom crossing, through which aid trucks have been delivering more food, water and supplies since the ceasefire came into effect. Medical supplies.

The Israel Defense Forces said it had killed an Islamic Jihad militant and that while Israel remained "determined to fully comply with the terms of the (ceasefire) agreement to repatriate the hostages" it was also "prepared for any scenario and will continue to take all measures" Necessary action to deter any direct threat to IDF soldiers.”

There was no immediate response to the incident from Gaza's Hamas rulers.

Just hours before the Israel Defense Forces confirmed operations in southern Gaza, the newly sworn-in U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio He called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and told the Israeli leader that "maintaining America's unwavering support for Israel is President Trump's top priority," according to the call.

According to information provided by the State Department, Rubio made a series of calls to foreign ministers around the world, but Netanyahu was the first head of state he spoke to. The two also discussed releasing the remaining 94 hostages still being held in Gaza, seven of whom are Israeli-Americans, and addressing threats from Iran, although the State Department did not provide specific details.

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry has not reported any new deaths since the ceasefire came into effect, but official deaths have emerged as rescue and recovery teams and private citizens have discovered more bodies, and sometimes piles of bones, in Gaza. The number continues to rise. The ruins of the destroyed Palestinian enclave

The ministry said that as of Thursday, statistics showed that more than 47,200 people had been killed in the war sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel, with the militants killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping 251. The ministry said the bodies of more than 160 people had been recovered in Gaza since the ceasefire began on Sunday.

Thousands of bodies are believed to remain beneath collapsed buildings in the enclave, which was home to some 2.3 million people before the war. The Hamas government media office in Gaza said on Thursday that about 14,000 people were still missing.

Speeding up recovery efforts and the distribution of aid have been hampered by a lack of functioning heavy equipment in the area and damage to infrastructure, according to rescue workers and aid agencies.

As of Wednesday, the United Nations said 808 trucks carrying humanitarian aid, including food, fuel and medical supplies, had entered the zone since the ceasefire came into effect. But the ceasefire and hostage release agreement negotiated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt requires 600 trucks to enter the territory every day.

Hamas said it would release four more hostages - Israeli women - on Saturday. Sunday's preliminary exchange saw Three prisoners released In exchange, some 90 Palestinian prisoners were released from Israeli prisons in the occupied West Bank. Israel is expected to release another 200 Palestinian detainees in the next exchange this weekend.

At the same time, a 'Large-scale' military offensive The operation launched by the Israel Defense Forces in the West Bank earlier this week continued through the night, focusing on and around the sprawling Jenin refugee camp in the northern part of the Palestinian territory.

The Israel Defense Forces said they killed two men linked to Hamas-ally Islamic Jihad during Operation Iron Wall, claiming the men shot dead three people in a bus attack in the West Bank two weeks ago. Named Israelite.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank said on Wednesday that 10 Palestinians had been killed in a new operation by the Israel Defense Forces. The West Bank is not controlled by Hamas like Gaza.

The "Iron Wall" is a major show of force by the Israel Defense Forces in Jenin, a West Bank region long viewed by Israel as a stronghold for Iran-backed militant groups. Since the Gaza ceasefire came into effect, the IDF has turned its focus and firepower to the West Bank.

One of the many first steps President Trump is taking as he begins his second term this week is to roll back Biden-era sanctions against Israeli settlers seen as a threat to security in the West Bank.

Domestically, for Prime Minister Netanyahu, the West Bank offensive may be at least partly an attempt to appease part of his support base — including far-right members of his own cabinet - They are angry about the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

Israel's former national security minister, right-wing nationalist Itamar Ben-Gver, resigned in protest against the deal, saying it was a surrender to terrorism.

If Bezalel Smotrich, the country's finance minister and another far-right cabinet member, resigns, Netanyahu's fragile coalition government will fall apart. The country would then have to hold early national elections, which could jeopardize Netanyahu's own long-term control of political power.