Israel bombs Rafah after alleged militant attack on its troops

BarcelonaIsrael launched an airstrike against Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Sunday, after Palestinian militants allegedly attacked military forces stationed there. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the attack in a statement, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered "strong action against terrorist targets." "Following Hamas's violation of the ceasefire, Prime Minister Netanyahu consulted with the Defense Minister and the heads of the security establishment and ordered strong action against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip," sources in his office reported.

For its part, the Israeli army has justified the bombing with the following statement: "Today, terrorists fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire at Israel Defense Forces troops operating to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the Rafah area, in the south. The Israel Defense Forces began attacking the area to eliminate the threat and dismantle the tunnels and military structures used for terrorist activity," it argued. It also warned that "these terrorist actions constitute a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement" and that Israel "will respond firmly."

The attack has caused at least eight deaths and three injuries, according to sources from the Gaza Ministry of Health. These victims are in addition to those recorded since the start of the ceasefire on October 10, which now totals 35 dead and 146 injured. Columns of smoke could be seen rising from Rafah from a distance on Sunday morning.

However, Hamas maintains that it remains committed to the ceasefire and has accused Israel of violating it. "The Zionist occupation continues to violate the agreement and seek baseless pretexts to justify its crimes," Hamas leader Izzat al-Rishq said in a statement posted on the official Telegram channel immediately after the Israeli bombing.

Hours later, Hamas released another statement in which it completely disassociated itself from the clashes in Rafah: "We are not aware of any clashes taking place in the Rafah area, as these are red zones under the control of [Israeli] personnel. Contact with our groups there was cut off last year. We have no connection with any events taking place in these areas and we are unable to communicate with any of our fighters there, if any are still alive."

However, a source from Hamas's armed wing told Efe news agency that the group had launched an operation in Rafah to eliminate Yasser Abu Shabab, leader of the rival militia known as the Popular Forces. However, Israeli soldiers intervened to support Shabab, triggering crossfire and causing the explosion of an Israeli bulldozer.

Another military source explained that Hamas militants attacked Israeli forces beyond the so-called yellow line, the imaginary line behind which Israeli troops remain deployed after their withdrawal from the main cities in the Strip. In the attack, the militants reportedly used grenade launchers and a sniper also fired, according to the same source.

This Saturday, the US government warned that it had "credible information" indicating that Hamas was planning "an imminent violation" of the ceasefire. This morning, the Islamist group rejected this accusation and blamed Israel for arming and financing these other militias, which it said were involved in "murders, kidnappings, robberies of aid trucks, and thefts against civilians."

Hamas has confirmed that Gaza police officers, "with broad civilian and popular support," are pursuing these militias to hold them accountable "in accordance with clear legal mechanisms, with the aim of protecting citizens and preserving public and private property."

Barely a day after the ceasefire, Hamas militants began cracking down on all those clans and militias that allegedly collaborated with Israel throughout the two-year war offensive, including with public executions of alleged collaborators, images of which were made.

Settlers and leaders of the religious Zionist parties that are part of the governing coalition in Israel demanded this Sunday that Israeli troops resume their war offensive against the Gaza Strip, following the exchange of fire this Sunday in Rafah. "I encourage Prime Minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] to order the Israel Defense Forces to fully resume fighting in the Gaza Strip with all their strength," wrote National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was previously convicted of inciting hatred against Palestinians, on the social network X. For his part, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich summed up in one word what the Israeli government must do from now on: "War," he wrote on his X account.