Israeli forces have clashed with Hamas in a new sign of pressure on a peace deal in Gaza, blocking the flow of food and medical supplies to Palestinians while the two sides blame each other for flouting a ceasefire. Source: The Age.
The Israel Defence Forces launched airstrikes and artillery fire against militants yesterday in the southern part of the war-torn territory near the Rafah crossing into Egypt, saying it was responding to being fired upon.
Israel said Hamas fighters had fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire at the soldiers in an area that was controlled by Israel under the terms of the ceasefire, and it vowed to fire back if the attacks continued.
But Hamas said the Israeli forces had repeatedly violated the ceasefire and claimed, without verification by any other source, that 46 people had been killed in recent days.
In a dramatic escalation of tensions, Israel said it would suspend the delivery of all humanitarian aid into Gaza until further notice.
The airstrikes were revealed when plumes of smoke rose over Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza that is home to tens of thousands of people, and the Israel Defence Forces said it had attacked weapons storage facilities, firing posts and Hamas tunnels.
The ceasefire is under growing pressure after Hamas failed to transfer the bodies of 28 hostages it had agreed to release by last Monday, while Israel responded by halting aid deliveries despite promising to allow more food, water and medical help.
Aid groups have called for hundreds of daily truck deliveries to be allowed through the Rafah crossing to feed an estimated two million people in the territory, but the impasse over the ceasefire led Israel to close the crossing on Saturday.
Israeli officials announced the halt to all humanitarian aid on Sunday (Monday, AEDT).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is insisting that Hamas put down its weapons under the terms of the peace plan, which sets out long-term goals for a transitional authority to manage Gaza and also stipulates that Hamas leaders would gain safe passage to leave to third countries.
Hamas has not agreed to demilitarise and has instead executed rivals inside the territory over the past week, asserting its control by force.
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Israel halts aid to Gaza in clash with Hamas over breaking ceasefire (By David Crowe, The Age)
