Hamas Reports 22 Ceasefire Violations in Gaza as Iran War Overshadows Disarmament Negotiations

Palestinian armed groups have violated the Gaza ceasefire at least 22 times since the Iran war erupted on February 28, and 139 times in total since the truce took effect in October 2025, according to Israel Defense Forces records released Monday. The violations — which include sniper attacks, anti-tank missile fire, and armed crossings of the ceasefire boundary — have strained a fragile Phase 2 agreement just as negotiations over Hamas's disarmament have grown deadlocked, with the group's military wing declaring that laying down arms is not even a topic for discussion.

The IDF has responded to each documented violation with targeted strikes. On March 8, soldiers identified two Hamas operatives "planning to carry out a sniper attack against IDF forces in the northern Gaza Strip" and killed them in a preemptive strike. On March 29, the IDF identified "a squad of about ten armed terrorists from the Hamas terror organization operating in the center of the Gaza Strip" and struck what it described as an active cell rather than passively absorbing the ceasefire breach. The military also eliminated Ahmed Fayiz Salem Abu Rida, identified as a Hamas operative who had "systematically violated the terms of the agreement," along with Kamal Ayash, leader of an anti-tank unit, and Yahyah Abu Labda, an officer responsible for precision rocket production.

Hamas's military spokesman, Abu Obeida, responded to international calls for disarmament with a firm rejection. "The disarmament of the resistance in Gaza will not be discussed before Israel fulfils its obligations under the first phase of the US-led ceasefire agreement," Obeida said Sunday, a day before the IDF released its comprehensive tally of violations. The Phase 2 framework, announced by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in January 2026, requires Hamas to fully disarm as a precondition for the reconstruction of Gaza and the establishment of an interim Palestinian governing authority under an international Board of Peace chaired by President Trump.

The ceasefire that went into effect October 10, 2025, followed months of intense US-mediated negotiations and was widely celebrated as a step toward ending the war that began with the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. The truce produced the release of 20 living hostages alongside four sets of remains in its opening phase, though Israel accused Hamas of withholding remains and of delaying humanitarian convoys at key crossings. Gaza's Health Ministry has reported 716 Palestinians killed and 1,968 injured since the ceasefire began, figures it attributes to Israeli military operations in response to ceasefire violations.

The standoff over disarmament is playing out against the backdrop of the wider Iran war, which has drawn much of the region's military attention since late February. Israeli officials argue that the continued presence of armed Hamas units inside Gaza presents an unacceptable threat while IDF resources are stretched by the conflict with Iran. Humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza warn that the fragile peace is buckling under operational pressures, with aid deliveries suspended multiple times as Israel cited security concerns at border crossings. The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold an open session on the Gaza situation this week, with the US expected to argue that Phase 2 requirements — including disarmament — must be honored before reconstruction funding is released.