Israel strikes Gaza after accusing Hamas of ‘blatant’ violation of ceasefire in first major test of US-brokered truce
Israel carried out many attacks Gaza On Sunday, after he said his troops had come under fire from militants in a “blatant” violation of the ceasefire, the first major test of the US-brokered truce.
Hamas attacked Israeli forces in Rafah with rocket-propelled grenades and sniper fire, prompting Israel to launch an attack on the area, an Israeli military official said.
According to another military official, Hamas opened fire on Israeli forces beyond the Yellow Line (the line from which Israeli troops withdraw under the ceasefire agreement) in three separate incidents on Sunday.
A source familiar with the incident in Rafah said Israeli forces suffered casualties. The incident occurred behind the Yellow Line.
Hospitals and eyewitnesses reported that at least eight people died in Israeli attacks on various parts of Gaza.
Both sides accused each other of violating the ceasefire since it began nine days ago, ending months of fighting and allowing the release of Israeli hostages as well as Palestinian prisoners and detainees. But Sunday’s events are the most serious yet.
Hamas said in a statement on Sunday that it remained committed to the ceasefire agreement. Its military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades (AQB), denied information of “any incident or conflict” in Rafah and said it was committed to a ceasefire “in all areas of the Gaza Strip”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security consultation with defense minister Israel Katz and the military chiefs of staff on Sunday, instructing them to “act with force” against “terrorist targets” in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it destroyed Hamas infrastructure by launching airstrikes and artillery fire in Rafah.
“Hamas will pay a heavy price for every ceasefire and violation of the ceasefire, and if the message is not understood, the intensity of our reactions will continue to increase,” Katz said in a statement.
As Netanyahu faces pressure to respond to any transgressions from far-right parties supporting his coalition, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called on him to continue the war in Gaza “with full force”.
Amid renewed attacks, the AQB said it had found the body of another Israeli hostage during ongoing search operations and would “hand him over today if field conditions permit.”
AQB warned that the Israeli army’s escalation of tensions would “impede the search, excavation and recovery of bodies.”
Hamas clashes with rivals
While much is unknown about the incident in Rafah, it occurred Sunday morning as Hamas said its security force inside Rada’a targeted the “hideout” of Israeli-backed militias. Yasser Abu Shabab. In June, Israel confirmed that it was arming large numbers of such militias to counter Hamas.
Muhammad Shehada, a Gaza expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said these militias are now operating in Israeli-occupied areas of Gaza, from where they “go down to the other half of Gaza and carry out attacks and then return to protected areas.”
Since the ceasefire began last week, Hamas has been waging a “security campaign” targeting “collaborators, mercenaries, thieves, bandits and those collaborating with the Zionist enemy throughout the Gaza Strip.”
Internal conflict has created an unstable security situation in the battered region, with violence between Hamas and rival groups breaking out in various parts of Gaza; this included an incident that resulted in the public execution of eight people in a square in Gaza City while large crowds watched.
Sunday’s incident has caused the ceasefire to become even more tense, and the next steps are still unresolved.
Israel shot and killed Palestinians it accused of approaching the Yellow Line, in what Hamas described as a “blatant violation” of its ceasefire commitments. Israel also accused Hamas of delaying the return of all hostages held in Gaza under the agreement and closed a key border crossing until further notice.
Hamas returned 12 of the 28 hostages who died in accordance with the ceasefire agreement with Israel that came into force last week. All 12 people have now been officially identified.
This story has been updated with additional information and context.
For more CNN news and newsletters, create an account at: CNN.com
