ISTANBUL

The Palestinian group Hamas denied Tuesday any involvement in a shooting attack on Israeli forces in Rafah, accusing Israel of violating the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

In a statement, the group said it remains committed to the ceasefire deal signed in Egypt’s city of Sharm el-Sheikh under US sponsorship.

“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 Israeli army launched a series of air and artillery strikes across the Gaza Strip Tuesday evening following orders from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged ceasefire violations by Hamas.

Israeli media said that the escalation came after Israeli forces came under sniper fire and anti-tank shells in the southern city of Rafah.

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 Oct. 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 Palestinian prisoners. 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.