The violation occurred in the Rafah area, the Israeli military said.
The Israeli military said on Oct. 19 that Hamas violated the cease-fire by firing an anti-tank missile at Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) operating in the Rafah area.
The IDF said it responded with strikes in the area to eliminate the threat and dismantle the tunnel shafts and military structures the Hamas terrorist group was using.
“These terrorist actions constitute a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement, and the IDF will respond firmly,” the IDF said on Sunday.
Hamas-controlled Gaza health authorities said that two Palestinians were killed in Israel’s airstrikes in the eastern Jabalia area of northern Gaza.
The Times of Israel reported that the military was carrying out airstrikes in the Rafah area after Hamas attacked forces there.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will retaliate forcefully to any Hamas’ attacks on its soldiers.
The prime minister held consultations with Israel’s security heads and ordered the military to take “strong action” against any violations of the cease-fire. However, his office did not threaten to return to war.
In a statement, Hamas’ armed wing claimed it was still committed to the cease-fire agreement throughout Gaza, it was not aware of clashes in Rafah, and it had fallen out of contact with groups in that area since March.
“We affirm our full commitment to implementing all agreements, foremost among them the cease-fire across all areas of the Gaza Strip,” the Al-Qassam Brigades said.
The U.S. State Department put Hamas on notice on Saturday, citing “credible reports” that the Iran-backed terror group was planning an imminent attack on Palestinians civilians, in violation of the peace agreement.
A State Department spokesperson said that should Hamas proceed with its “planned attack against Palestinian civilians” and violate the cease-fire, the United States and other guarantors of the peace agreement would respond.
The guarantors demand Hamas uphold its obligations under the ceasefire terms,” the notice read.
“The United States and the other guarantors remain resolute in our commitment to ensuring the safety of civilians, maintaining calm on the ground, and advancing peace and prosperity for the people of Gaza and the region as a whole.”
No further details were disclosed. The notice was issued amid reports of violence and shootings in Gaza between Hamas and rival factions.
Hamas on Sunday morning rejected the statement from the U.S. State Department, saying the allegations were false.
Hamas had launched a security crackdown in urban areas vacated by Israeli forces, demonstrating its power on the enclave through public executions and clashes with local armed clans.
A Hamas official on Oct. 16 defended the killings that reportedly started on Oct. 13, and video footage of the public executions circulated online.
Speaking in Beirut, Hamas’ political representative in Lebanon Ahmed Abdul-Hadi said the individuals who were killed “caused death and corruption in Gaza and killed displaced persons and aid seekers.”
Hadi said the decision to sentence them “was done by a Palestinian national and tribal consensus.”
By Jacob Burg and Melanie Sun
