At least nine Palestinians were killed in new Israeli strikes in the south of the Gaza Strip, medical sources said Tuesday, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his forces to strike the blockaded Palestinian enclave despite the cease-fire.
A strike targeted a home in the Sabra neighborhood in western Gaza City inside the "yellow line," killing four people, while several others remained missing under the rubble, the sources said.
The "yellow line" refers to the zone to which Israeli forces have withdrawn under the ceasefire agreement, stretching from southern North Gaza Governorate to the outskirts of Rafah.
Five more Palestinians were killed when Israeli forces struck a vehicle in Khan Younis, also within the "yellow line" in southern Gaza.
According to Anadolu Agency (AA) reporters, an Israeli airstrike hit the Shati refugee camp west of Gaza City, while artillery fire targeted areas east of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. Missiles also struck around the Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City.
The move came as the public broadcaster KAN said that the premier also decided to expand the territory under the army's control in Gaza behind the "yellow line."
KAN said that the Israeli premier was coordinating with senior U.S. officials on the move.
Netanyahu's office, however, declined to comment on the report.
Israeli media said that the escalation came after Israeli forces came under sniper fire and anti-tank shells in the southern city of Rafah.
Hamas however rejected accusations that its fighters attacked Israeli troops in Gaza on Tuesday, vowing to abide by the U.S.-brokered cease-fire.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz accused Hamas of attacking Israeli forces in Gaza but did not specify the location of the incident.
"The criminal shelling carried out by the fascist (Israeli) occupation army on parts of the Gaza Strip represents a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement," Hamas said.
The Israeli army launched a series of air and artillery strikes across the Gaza Strip Tuesday evening following orders from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged cease-fire violations by Hamas.
Israeli media said that the escalation came after Israeli forces came under sniper fire and anti-tank shells in the southern city of Rafah.
Hamas described the Israeli attacks as part of "a series of violations in recent days that resulted in casualties and the continued closure of the Rafah crossing," accusing Israel of trying to undermine the ceasefire.
It called on mediators overseeing the agreement to "act immediately to pressure Israel, curb its brutal escalation against civilians, stop its serious violations of the ceasefire, and ensure full compliance with its provisions."
