Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered this Sunday to "act vigorously against terrorist targets" in Gaza, nine days after the ceasefire came into effect and without clarifying whether this means the end of it. “Following Hamas’s violation of the ceasefire, Prime Minister Netanyahu held a consultation with Defense Minister Israel Katz and the heads of the security establishment, and ordered decisive action against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip,” his office said in a statement. Katz warned, in a statement reported by the Israeli press, that “Hamas will pay a heavy price for every shot fired and every violation of the ceasefire. If the message is not understood, the intensity of our response will intensify.” Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian stated, however, that the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip remains in effect. “We are currently in a ceasefire, but soldiers are allowed to protect themselves,” he said in a virtual press conference.

First clashes after days of truce

At least five Palestinians were killed today in an Israeli bombardment outside a cafe in central Gaza, sources at the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue in Deir al-Balah, which received the bodies, told Efe. A drone bombed a gathering of people near the Twix cafe in the Al Zuweida area of ????central Gaza. The cafe is located next to the Rashid Highway, which runs through Gaza from north to south, just meters from the sea.

This morning, crossfire erupted between militants and the Israeli army in Rafah, south of the enclave, after the former launched “an anti-tank missile and gunfire” at troops in the area, according to a military statement, which described the incident as “a flagrant violation” of the ceasefire agreement. “In response, the army began shelling the area to eliminate the threat and dismantle tunnel entrances and military structures used for terrorist activities,” the statement said.

Hamas disassociates itself from the attacks

The Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, plagued by internal fighting, has disassociated itself from what happened and reiterated its commitment to the implementation of the ceasefire agreement throughout the Gaza Strip. “We are not aware of any incident or clash,” they said in an official statement, claiming to have lost contact with their men in Rafah since Israel broke the previous ceasefire last March.

“Consequently, we have no connection to any events occurring in those areas and are unable to contact any of our fighters there, if any are still alive,” the armed group added.

Following reports of today’s attacks, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir had already called on Netanyahu to resume the war against Hamas, a group considered a terrorist organization by Israel and other countries, including Germany and the United States.