The Israeli military launched an attack on Gaza, 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 on Sunday.
“Terror operatives”, whose affiliation was unclear, in southern Gaza were reported to have attacked Israeli forces in Rafah, before the IDF launched airstrikes, the Times of Israel reports.
An Israeli military official told Sky News 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.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas.
Israel’s hawkish far-right Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, wrote on X on Sunday as the reports emerged, calling 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 said. “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 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. “
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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