Tel Aviv/Gaza: Israel launched airstrikes on Gaza on Sunday, multiple news outlets including Reuters reported, citing Israeli Channel 12. The strikes come amid mounting tensions over a fragile ceasefire as the United States accused Hamas of planning an imminent attack in the disputed territory.
There was no immediate confirmation from the Israeli military regarding the reported operation, though unverified reports suggested that the strikes targeted Rafah in southern Gaza.
The development followed a strong denial from Hamas after the U.S. State Department claimed to have “credible reports” suggesting that the group was preparing an attack that would violate the existing ceasefire. Hamas dismissed the allegations as “false and baseless,” Reuters reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a televised address on Saturday, declared that the Gaza war would not end until Hamas was completely disarmed and the Palestinian territory demilitarized. His remarks came as the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, handed over the remains of two hostages under a U.S.-brokered truce.
In a separate statement, Netanyahu announced that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt would remain closed until further notice. He said the reopening would depend on Hamas surrendering the bodies of deceased hostages. The decision contradicted an earlier announcement by the Palestinian embassy in Egypt that the crossing would reopen on Monday.
The U.S. State Department on Saturday cautioned countries involved in the Gaza peace process about “credible intelligence” of a possible Hamas-led assault against Palestinians, warning that such an act would be a “grave violation” of the ceasefire. “Should Hamas proceed with this attack, measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire,” the statement read.
The renewed hostilities have raised fears that the truce, already hanging by a thread, could collapse entirely.
