The IDF has not conducted strikes in the Gaza Strip for 26 consecutive hours, Channel 12 reports Monday evening, attributing the lull to rising tensions between Jerusalem and Washington. A political source insisted Israel maintains freedom of action and will continue operations until Hamas disarms, warning that even a confrontation with the US administration is possible.
Channel 12 reported Monday evening (21:09 Jerusalem) that the IDF has not conducted strikes in the Gaza Strip for 26 consecutive hours, attributing the lull to rising tensions between Jerusalem and Washington. A political source cited in the report insisted Israel retains freedom of action and will continue operations until Hamas disarms, warning that 'even a confrontation with the US administration is possible.' The source's statement, which The Zioneer reported as a new development late Monday, appears designed to reassure domestic audiences that Israel's operational independence is intact amid reported diplomatic pressure.
The lull follows a sequence of related reports published Sunday evening (19:30 Jerusalem). Gazan sources first reported that a strike in Gaza City killed senior Hamas commander Nafedh Sabih (Abu Jalal) and his son. An Israeli security source later confirmed the elimination but said the individual was not the intended target. By Monday morning, Abu Ali Express reported a 14-hour lull in airstrikes since the elimination. Analyst Chananel Aviv then noted a 24-hour lull, raising the possibility of a secret agreement. Channel 12's evening report extended the pause to 26 hours and explicitly linked it to US-Israel tensions, marking a shift from the earlier speculation to an attributed political explanation.
As The Zioneer reported on June 16, 2026, Israel formally objected to a reported demand from President Trump to halt military operations in Lebanon as part of emerging understandings with Iran, with officials stressing that freedom of action against Hezbollah is non-negotiable. The current pause in Gaza comes amid broader US diplomatic efforts with Iran, including reported concessions that led to the cancellation of a planned Iranian missile attack on Israel in June.
No official IDF statement has been issued confirming or denying the pause. The accuracy of the political source's warning about a possible confrontation with the US administration remains unverified, and the scope of any diplomatic understandings between Jerusalem and Washington has not been disclosed.
10 developments
- StrongIsraeli source rejects speculation of halt in Gaza strikes
- DevelopingIsrael will not withdraw from current Gaza line, political source says, rejecting demand to halt international force
- StrongGaza quiet since Monday morning, no strikes recorded
- StrongYishai Spaz: Halt to Gaza strikes gives Hamas 'wind in its sails', emboldens terror group
Source and signal
- Open-source intake