Israeli Defense Forces launched airstrikes in Gaza after Hamas allegedly violated a US-brokered ceasefire agreement, killing nine people.
The development came after Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed Israeli forces to “immediately launch forceful strikes into the Gaza Strip,” CNN was quoted as saying.
According to CNN report, Israel had informed the US about its decision to attack Gaza.
A military official said Hamas militants attacked Israeli forces east of the so-called Yellow Line, which separates the Israeli-held part of Gaza from the rest of the enclave. Rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and sniper fire were fired at troops deployed in the Rafah area, CNN reported.
Following the attack, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Hamas would pay a “heavy price” for targeting Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) personnel. “Israel will respond strongly,” Katz said.
Shortly after his comments, Gaza Civil Defense reported that al-Sabra had been targeted in an Israeli airstrike.
At least three women and one man were killed in the attack in a neighborhood in Gaza City. Five people, including two children and a woman, were killed in another attack in the southern city of Khan Yunis.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al Shifa hospital, said at least three explosions were heard near the medical facility in northern Gaza, CNN reported.
Israel has also accused Hamas of misidentifying the remains of a recently returned detainee as those of an abducted man whose body was recovered two years ago. According to Al Jazeera, Netanyahu said he was deciding on next steps after Hamas returned the remains of a detainee previously recovered.
Hamas condemned the “criminal bombing” by Israel and alleged it violated an existing ceasefire agreement. The group denied responsibility for the attack on Israeli soldiers, but reiterated its commitment to maintaining the ceasefire, CNN reported.
At least 68,527 people have been killed and 170,395 injured in the Israel-Hamas conflict since it began in October 2023. According to Al Jazeera, a total of 1,139 people were killed and more than 250 were taken captive in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023.