The Israeli military launched an attack on Gaza on Sunday, as Israel continued to trade blame with Hamas over violations of the US-brokered ceasefire aiming to end the war in the enclave, Israeli media reported.
The IDF launched airstrikes after “terror operatives”, whose affiliation was unclear, were claimed to have attacked Israeli forces in Rafah, the Times of Israel reports.
An Israeli military official told The Independent that Hamas had carried out “multiple attacks” against Israeli troops beyond the yellow line they withdrew to under the armistice in a “bold violation of the ceasefire”.
“The attacks included an RPG shot at a military force, and a sniper fire against a military force,” they added. “Both of the incidents happened in an Israeli controlled area, east to the yellow line. This is a bold violation of the ceasefire.”
Senior Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq said in a statement that Hamas remains committed to the ceasefire and accused Israel of committing violations.
As the reports emerged, Israel’s hawkish far-right Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “order the IDF to fully resume combat in the Gaza Strip with maximum force”.
“The false illusions that Hamas will change its ways, or even adhere to the agreement it signed, are proving, as expected, to be dangerous to our security,” he wrote on X. “The Nazi terrorist organization must be completely destroyed—and the sooner, the better.”
In a separate incident on Friday, ‘operatives’ were said to have emerged from a tunnel in the Rafah area and opened fire on Israeli forces, according to the IDF. There were no reported injuries.
The developments come at a precarious time for the ceasefire, with US Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff expected to arrive in Israel on Monday to discuss Israel’s claims Hamas is violating the ceasefire agreement.
Hamas rejected on Sunday a statement from the US State Department in which it cited “credible reports” indicating the Palestinian militant group would imminently violate the ceasefire deal with Israel. Hamas said such allegations were false.
“The Hamas Movement rejects the allegations mentioned in the statement issued by the US State Department and categorically denies the claims directed against it regarding an ‘imminent attack’ or a ‘violation of the ceasefire agreement’”, it said.
“These false allegations fully align with misleading Israeli propaganda and provide cover for the continuation of the occupation’s organized crimes and aggression against our people.”
Hamas accused Israel of forming, arming and funding criminal gangs that it said had “carried out killings, kidnappings, theft of aid trucks, and robberies against Palestinian civilians”.
The State Department assessed in a short statement that Hamas was planning an “imminent” attack on civilians in Gaza, adding: “Should Hamas proceed with this attack, measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire. “
Donald Trump has threatened to disarm Hamas if it refuses to do so voluntarily, after saying he was unbothered by Hamas killing members of “very bad gangs” in Gaza earlier in the week.
The ceasefire has been further strained by Hamas’ slow return of hostages to Israel and Israel’s decision since to keep the Rafah crossing shut to humanitarian aid.
Israel has threatened to keep the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt closed “until further notice.”
Netanyahu’s office said reopening Rafah would depend on how Hamas fulfils its ceasefire role of returning the remains of all 28 deceased hostages.
Hamas has handed over the remains of 11 identified hostages. Israel has returned the bodies of 135 Palestinians to Gaza.
The handover of remains is among key points — along with aid deliveries into Gaza and the devastated territory’s future — in the ceasefire process meant to end two years of war.
Israel identified the body of a deceased hostage Sunday morning, after Hamas handed over two bodies of what the militant group said are deceased hostages to the Red Cross late Saturday night.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the body was identified as Ronen Engel. The second body is still undergoing identification at Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine.
Engel, 54, was killed during the Oct. 7 attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz on the Gaza border. His wife, Karina, and two of his three children were kidnapped and released in a ceasefire in November 2023.
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