JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said on Sunday (Oct 19) that Hamas militants have carried out “multiple attacks” against Israeli forces beyond the “yellow line” buffer zone, including a rocket-propelled grenade and sniper fire, calling it a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire.
The yellow line is the boundary Israeli forces withdrew to under the truce.
Hamas official Izzal Al Risheq said in response that Hamas is committed to the ceasefire agreement.
The Israeli government and Hamas have been accusing each other of violations of the ceasefire for days, with Israel saying the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will remain closed until further notice.
The Israeli military said on Friday that “several terrorists” opened fire on soldiers in the Rafah area, causing no injuries. The military later said it struck another group of “terrorists” that were approaching troops in Khan Younis on the same day. The military would continue to operate to remove immediate threats, it said.
Israel and Hamas have also engaged in a row over the return of the bodies of deceased hostages. Israel demanded that Hamas fulfil its obligations in turning over the remaining bodies of all 28 hostages.
Hamas has returned all 20 live hostages and 12 of the deceased but said the process needs effort and special equipment to recover corpses buried under rubble.
