Hamas issued a threat on Saturday to end the ceasefire in Gaza, as the Israel Defense Forces carried out several airstrikes there after a Palestinian gunman opened fire on Israeli troops in the Strip’s south.
According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Office, five senior Hamas officials were killed in the strikes, which a US official said the Trump administration supports.
In all, 21 people were killed, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Civil Defense agency, whose tolls are unverified and do not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Saturday’s strikes and clashes marked one of the deadliest days in Gaza since the fragile ceasefire took effect on October 10, as both Israel and Hamas accused the other side of breaking its terms.
The PMO’s statement accused Hamas of repeatedly sending fighters to attack IDF troops, while Hamas signaled to mediators that it could end the ceasefire over what it called Israeli violations. But later in the day, a Hamas spokesperson denied a report that the terror group had called off the truce.
The violence began in the morning, with a Palestinian terror operative opening fire on Israeli troops in southern Gaza. The gunfire occurred on the IDF’s side of the Yellow Line, which splits Gaza between Israeli and Hamas control.
According to the military, which later published footage of the incident, the operative crossed the Yellow Line and approached troops in a vehicle while “exploiting the humanitarian route through which humanitarian aid enters” the territory’s south.
In response, the IDF launched a series of airstrikes on Gaza, killing five senior Hamas officials, the PMO said in a statement.
“Today, Hamas violated the ceasefire again, sending a terrorist into Israel held territory to attack IDF soldiers. In response, Israel eliminated five senior Hamas terrorists,” the PMO wrote.
“Israel has fully honored the ceasefire, Hamas has not,” the statement continued.”Throughout the ceasefire, dozens of Hamas terrorists have crossed the Israeli lines to attack our troops, while they execute Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”
It demanded that the terror group return the remaining slain hostages it is holding and disarm, per the terms of a peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.
“We again call on the mediators to insist that Hamas fulfill its side of the Ceasefire and President Trump’s 20-point plan: Hamas must immediately return the three deceased hostages it is still holding and complete its disarmament and enable the total demilitarization of Gaza,” the statement concluded.
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