Israel’s military initiated strikes against Hamas in Gaza, asserting that the organization had repeatedly breached its ceasefire agreement on Sunday.
An official confirmed these strikes to on Sunday, citing multiple attacks by Hamas since Friday. The official indicated that all these assaults on Israeli forces occurred beyond the designated line where Israel had withdrawn as per the agreement’s terms.
“The terror group Hamas carried out several attacks against Israeli forces beyond the yellow line. These attacks involved an RPG shot targeting a military unit, and sniper fire directed at another military unit,” the official stated to in a public declaration.
“Both incidents took place within an Israeli-controlled territory, situated east of the yellow line. This represents a clear violation of the ceasefire,” the official further elaborated.
Israel responded by launching strikes on locations in both the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip.
The reported assaults on Israeli troops followed days of Hamas engaging other factions after the ceasefire had come into effect.
According to Reuters, Hamas executed at least 33 people in recent days, an action that officials described as a campaign to “project strength” post-ceasefire. Israeli sources claim that most of those killed belonged to families accused of collaborating with Israel or supporting rival militias.
The U.S. Department of State issued a warning on Saturday, suggesting that Hamas might breach the ceasefire with a “premeditated attack” against Palestinian civilians.
“This planned assault against Palestinian civilians would constitute a direct and severe violation of the ceasefire agreement and undermine the significant progress achieved through mediation efforts,” the department communicated in a statement shared on social media. “The guarantors demand that Hamas uphold its responsibilities under the ceasefire terms.”
“The United States and the other guarantors remain steadfast in their commitment to ensuring civilian safety, preserving calm on the ground, and fostering peace and prosperity for the people of Gaza and the region as a whole,” the statement concluded.
President cautioned Hamas on Friday, stating that ongoing attacks on Palestinians would necessitate intervention from the U.S. and Israel.
“If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not part of the deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them,” he posted on X.
Brie Stimson contributed to this report.