IDF fires warning shots on Hamas forces in Gaza moving in its vicinity

Hamas terrorists began approaching IDF soldiers, testing the boundaries of the ceasefire.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB JANUARY 20, 2025 15:45

Israeli military vehicles drive through the Philadelphi Corridor area in southern Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, September 13, 2024. (photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)

The IDF fired warning shots on Hamas forces operating in the vicinity of its new defensive ceasefire lines during the late morning, the Jerusalem Post learned on Monday.

Although the IDF has not yet issued a public statement on the issue and generally all signs are that Hamas is seeking to maintain the conditions of the ceasefire which went into effect on Sunday at 11:15 a.m., not everything is quiet.

According to the IDF, when the Hamas forces started to approach closer to their position and the IDF fired warning shots, the Gazans retreated and moved away from the Israeli forces without any counterfire or resistance.

Holding down the defenses

Further, the IDF said it remained committed to holding all defense lines set down by the ceasefire and would respond with force to any Gazans who approached those lines in any potentially threatening way.

During the ceasefire with Hezbollah which started on November 27, the IDF eliminated around 50 of the Lebanese terror group's forces when they tried to violate the ceasefire conditions in one way or another.

Palestinian Hamas terrorists parade as they prepare to hand over hostages kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, to the Red Cross as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City, January 19, 2025. (credit: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters)

Some anticipated that Hamas would do the same and try to regularly test whether IDF forces at their defense lines would hold their ground, however, the IDF is due to start larger withdrawals already this coming Saturday whereas Hezbollah had to wait for a longer period.

As such, it is possible that Hamas will show more patience with testing the IDF, given that it has a shorter wait for the intermediate IDF withdrawals.

There are larger questions about whether the IDF will fully withdraw from Gaza during Phase 2 of the ceasefire deal, after 42 days have passed, or whether Israel and Hamas may return to war at that point.