Gaza violence spills into another day, testing ceasefire deal
Israel’s military said it fired toward militants inside an area of Gaza under its control.
TEL AVIV—Israel’s military said it fired toward militants inside an area of Gaza under its control, yet another flare-up of violence that has threatened to derail the fragile cease-fire with Hamas.
Israel said there were two separate incidents on Monday in which its troops fired toward people who crossed the so-called yellow line, the boundary inside Gaza to which Israel withdrew under the terms of the truce. It said the people approached Israeli troops, who then acted to remove the threat.
Hamas didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The exchange underscored the fragility of the U.S.-brokered deal aimed at ending the two-year war, that took effect Oct. 10. Under an initial phase of the pact, Hamas agreed to return all remaining hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a staged withdrawal of Israeli troops. Thorny issues such as who will secure and govern postwar Gaza are yet to be resolved.
Monday’s clash follows a major escalation a day earlier, when Israel launched dozens of strikes across Gaza in response to a series of attacks by militants. One attack in southern Gaza killed two Israeli soldiers and severely injured another, the Israeli military said. Two other attempts were made to attack Israeli troops elsewhere in the enclave, it added.
Hamas denied involvement in the Sunday attacks and suggested they were carried out by rogue militants in the south that it lost contact with months ago, reiterating its support for the cease-fire.
An Israeli security official said Monday that humanitarian aid was flowing into Gaza in compliance with the pact, after officials initially said Israel would halt deliveries due to the clashes.
Israel’s military said there were three incidents on Friday, as well. It said its troops fired at militants that emerged from tunnel shafts in southern Gaza, and later returned fire toward militants that attacked its troops. In the third incident, Israel said it struck a suspicious vehicle that crossed the yellow line and ignored warning shots.
Hamas said the latter incident killed two families, including children, who were trying to reach their homes.
President Trump told reporters on Sunday that the U.S. believed Hamas may not have been involved, adding that “either way, it is gonna be handled properly." Trump said the cease-fire was still in place despite the setbacks.
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