On Sunday, the Israeli military carried out airstrikes in Rafah and other parts of southern Gaza, citing what it called a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire by Hamas.
The strikes followed reports that Hamas fighters attacked Israeli forces with sniper fire and a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG). Israeli media, including Channel 12, reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Israel Katz, and army officials were in discussions over the unfolding situation. Israel’s public broadcaster said the airstrikes came after an exchange of fire with Hamas operatives. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that an IED explosion in Rafah injured Israeli soldiers, though these claims could not be independently confirmed.
AFP noted that the clashes occurred in southern Rafah, a section still under Israeli control, triggering two airstrikes. Israel blamed Hamas for the attacks, while Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire. A senior Hamas official said Netanyahu was attempting to shirk responsibility under pressure from his political coalition.
Gaza’s civil defence agency, operating under Hamas, said it had recovered the bodies of nine Palestinians, including men, women, and children, after Israeli tank shells hit a bus on Saturday.
Earlier, the Israeli military said Hamas operatives had fired at Israeli soldiers in Rafah on Friday without causing injuries. Another group approaching troops in Khan Younis was also targeted. The military stressed that operations would continue to neutralize threats.
These developments follow a US-brokered ceasefire agreement, under which Hamas returned all 20 surviving hostages and the remains of 12 deceased hostages. According to the agreement, all hostages were to be handed over by Monday at 0900 GMT, but Hamas has requested more time and technical support to recover remaining bodies from Gaza’s rubble.
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