The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has denied any involvement in a deadly shooting attack on Israeli forces in Rafah, accusing Israel of violating the US-sponsored Gaza ceasefire agreement.
In a statement on Tuesday, the group said it remains committed to the ceasefire deal signed on October 13 in Egypt’s city of Sharm el-Sheikh.
“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 statement came after Israeli forces said one reservist was killed by sniper fire in the southern Palestinian city of Rafah on Tuesday.
Using the death of the soldier as an excuse, the Israeli army launched a series of air and artillery strikes across Gaza on Tuesday evening following orders from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged ceasefire violations by Hamas.
These brutal attacks, which Palestinian officials and others say are a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement, have killed at least 91 Palestinians in Gaza since Tuesday evening, including 24 children.
‘A series of violations’
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.”
The ceasefire agreement has been in place in Gaza since October 10 under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan.
Phase one of the deal includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.
Israel has killed more than 68,500 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 170,000 others in deadly attacks in Gaza since October 2023.
