Israeli forces kill two militants in southern Gaza’s Rafah, marking a fresh violation of the fragile truce with Hamas that began in October.
JERUSALEM: The Israeli army said it killed two militants in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday. The incident involved tank fire and air strikes despite a fragile ceasefire with Hamas.
A military statement said troops identified “six armed terrorists in the western Rafah area, adjacent to IDF (Israeli army) troops”. It detailed that tanks fired at the group after arriving on the scene.
“The terrorists fired at the soldiers in one of the tanks, and an exchange of fire ensued, including targeted aerial strikes in the area,” the statement added. Troops were searching for the remaining militants.
The city of Rafah is located behind a demarcation known as the “yellow line”. This line marks the area where Israeli forces withdrew to under the October truce.
The area beyond the yellow line remains under Hamas authority. Both sides have repeatedly accused the other of violating the ceasefire.
On Thursday, the army said it struck Hamas targets after a failed projectile launch from Gaza. Gaza’s civil defence agency said those strikes killed at least 13 people, including five children.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israeli forces have killed at least 447 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect. The ministry operates under Hamas authority.
The Israeli army says militants have killed three of its soldiers during the same period.
