A witness and Israeli media reported today that two Israeli airstrikes were carried out in the southern Gaza Strip, where, according to an Israeli military official, the Palestinian Hamas movement was targeting soldiers.
"Fighter jets carried out two airstrikes on Rafah in the area under Israeli military control," one eyewitness told AFP, while another said there were clashes between Hamas and another armed Palestinian group in the area, which is under Israeli military control.
According to an Israeli military source, Hamas carried out multiple attacks on Israeli forces, using grenade launchers and sniper fire in the Israeli-controlled zone.
A senior Hamas official denied that the group was involved in the fighting, the AP reported.
Hamas and Israel accuse each other of violating the fragile ceasefire.
Separately, Hamas announced that negotiations with mediators have begun on the beginning of the second phase of the ceasefire, according to US President Donald Trump's plan.
Hazem Qassam, a Hamas spokesman, said in a statement late last night that the second phase of negotiations required a national consensus, and that Hamas had begun the talks to "consolidate its positions."
Under Trump's plan, the negotiations would include the disarmament of Hamas and the establishment of an internationally-backed administration for the Gaza Strip.
Kassam reiterated that Hamas would not be part of the governing administration in post-war Gaza, as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement. He said Hamas-run government bodies would now run day-to-day operations in Gaza to avoid a governance vacuum.
Bonus video:
