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By Brendan Cole
Senior Reporter
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Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on southern Gaza early Friday morning, hours after a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was meant to come into effect to end hostilities in the two-year war, it has been reported.
CNN and the BBC were among outlets that reported strikes on the center of Khan Younis around 5.45 a.m. local time, with people near the Netzarim corridor also describing hearing artillery shelling and gunfire.
Eyewitnesses also described airstrikes and artillery shelling in Gaza City on Friday morning, especially in the neighborhoods of Al-Sabra and Tal Al-Hawa, CNN reported.
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A video published by Reuters showed a flash over the sky in Gaza at 5:55 a.m., followed by the sound of an explosion and a black plume of smoke. Newsweek could not independently verify the reports or video.
The Israeli government approved a ceasefire plan to end the war against Hamas, but it is not clear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has given the order to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to halt fighting.
When contacted for comment, the IDF told Newsweek that since 12 p.m., when the ceasefire agreement came into effect, IDF troops began positioning themselves along the updated deployment lines in preparation for the ceasefire agreement and the return of hostages.
"IDF troops in the Southern Command are deployed in the area and will continue to remove any immediate threat," it added.
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Why It Matters
Reports of renewed Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, if confirmed, will raise concerns about the viability of the ceasefire agreed by Israel’s government after two years of war, hours after street celebrations praised President Donald Trump for his role in the deal.
What To Know
Israeli strikes continued in the lead up to the government's vote but there are reports of attacks on the center of Khan Younis around 5:45 a.m. local time, several hours after Israel’s Cabinet approved Trump’s plan for a ceasefire and the release of all the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Suha Shaath, a pharmacist currently living in a tent in al-Mawasi near Khan Younis told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme that air strikes have continued "in many places" since the ceasefire was announced.
There were also reports of Israeli artillery shelling and drones flying over the city, according to CNN, citing eyewitnesses.
Correspondents for the Palestinian news agency Wafa, cited by the BBC, have reported further bombings in Khan Younis in the early hours of Friday, while strikes were also reported in Gaza City and shelling in the areas of al-Sabra and Tal al-Hawa.
Reuters footage captured a flash of light followed by an explosion just before 6 a.m. local time.
The Times Of Israel reported that under the cover of artillery shelling and airstrikes in some areas, the IDF had started to withdraw troops in the Gaza Strip to agreed-upon deployment lines as part of the deal with Hamas. It is not clear whether this explains the reports of shelling and air strikes on Friday morning.
The Civil Defense mechanism in Gaza has warned residents not to go near areas where Israeli forces are stationed and not approach the borders of the enclave until an official announcement is made about an IDF withdrawal.
What Are People Saying
CNN reported: "Israeli warplanes launched intense airstrikes in the center of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, early Friday morning."
The BBC reported: "People near the Netzarim corridor have described hearing artillery shelling and gunfire."
An IDF statement to Newsweek: "The Ceasefire Agreement Came Into Effect at 12:00. Since 12:00, IDF troops began positioning themselves along the updated deployment lines in preparation for the ceasefire agreement and the return of hostages. IDF troops in the Southern Command are deployed in the area and will continue to remove any immediate threat."
What Happens Next?
The IDF expects to complete its pullback of troops to agreed-upon deployment lines in Gaza at midday Friday, leaving them in control of just over half of the Strip’s territory, or 53 percent. Within 72 hours of the IDF move, Hamas is set to release the 48 hostages it is holding, beginning with the 20 believed to be alive. Meanwhile, Trump will arrive in Israel around 9 a.m. Monday.
Update 10/10/25, 05:40 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with further information.
Update 10/10/25, 11:11 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with an IDF statement.
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