Israel’s military said it hit multiple targets using aircraft and artillery in southern Gaza on Sunday, after it accused Hamas of shooting at Israeli soldiers, in a major test of an Israel-Hamas ceasefire that was brokered by the U.S. earlier this month.
An Israeli military official told CBS News that Hamas’ attacks included a rocket-propelled grenade targeting soldiers and sniper fire.
“Both of the incidents happened in an Israeli-controlled area, east of the yellow line,” the official said. “This is a bold violation of the ceasefire.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations with Israel’s security heads and directed the military to take “strong action” against any ceasefire violations. He did not threaten to return to war.
Hamas said that it was not involved in any clashes in Rafah in southern Gaza.
“We reaffirm our full commitment to implement everything that was agreed upon, foremost of which is a ceasefire across all areas of the Gaza Strip,” the group’s Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement. “We have no knowledge of any incidents or clashes taking place in the Rafah area, as these are red zones under the occupation’s control, and contact with the remaining groups of ours there has been cut off since the war resumed in March of this year.”
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