The Palestinian group attempted to demonstrate their military power despite Israel’s Gaza offensive by entering an Israeli city for the first time in four months.
The Israeli army reported detecting eight projectiles coming from Rafah, the southern edge of the Gaza Strip. Israel continued its operations in the area despite a U.N. court’s order to cease attacks on the city.
The Israeli military stated that some of the projectiles were stopped. Israeli emergency services confirmed that there were no reports of casualties.
The Hamas al-Qassam Brigades explained on its Telegram channel that the rockets were fired as a reaction to “Zionist killings of innocent people”.
Al-Aqsa TV, which has ties to Hamas, reported that the rockets originated from the Gaza Strip.
Rafah is situated approximately 100 km to the south of Tel Aviv.
Israel has stated its intention to eliminate Hamas militants hiding in Rafah and free captives in the area. However, its offensive has exacerbated the suffering of civilians and sparked global criticism.
Local medical services reported that at least five Palestinians were killed by Israeli strikes in Rafah on Sunday.
Israeli tanks have ventured near the city’s outskirts, near the primary southern entry point to Egypt, but have not fully entered the city yet.
After the rocket attack, Israel’s uncompromising minister of public security, Itamar Ben Gvir, who is not a member of Israel’s war cabinet, called on the military to increase its strikes on Rafah.
“He posted on X with all his might about Rafah.”
🔴A barrage of rockets was launched from Rafah toward central Israel moments ago.
Humanitarian aid has been going into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom Crossing this morning, and now rockets are being fired at central Israel.
This is what it looked like from the Rafah Crossing: pic.twitter.com/wmQyVL4NKK
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 26, 2024
Gaza’s health ministry reports that almost 36,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s attack. Israel initiated the mission in response to an assault by militants linked to Hamas on southern Israeli towns on October 7, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities and over 250 hostages, as reported by Israel.
Combat in the northern Gaza region of Jabaliya persisted on Sunday, a densely populated area that experienced prolonged fighting during the war. In a single raid, the military discovered a weapons storage facility containing many rocket components and weapons at a school.
It denied statements by Hamas that Palestinian fighters had abducted an Israeli soldier.
Aid trucks enter Gaza
At the same time, humanitarian trucks started moving into Gaza from southern Israel on Sunday using a new deal to avoid the Rafah crossing with Egypt, as Israeli forces took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing earlier this month, according to AP. Yet, it remained uncertain whether humanitarian organizations would have the ability to reach the aid due to continued conflict in the region.
Egypt will not reopen the Rafah crossing until Palestinians regain control of the Gaza side. It has agreed to temporarily reroute traffic through Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing, Gaza’s primary cargo terminal, following a conversation between US President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
However, access to the crossing has been difficult due to conflicts related to Israel’s military actions in the nearby city of Rafah. Israel claims to have permitted hundreds of trucks to enter, however, United Nations agencies argue that it is typically too risky to collect the aid on the opposing side.
Truce Talks
Attempts to reach a ceasefire and release over 100 hostages in Gaza have been delayed for weeks, but progress was seen after discussions between Israeli and American intelligence personnel and the Qatari prime minister.
According to a knowledgeable source, talks are set to restart this week with the support of Egyptian and Qatari mediators, along with significant participation from the United States.
Nevertheless, a Hamas representative dismissed the claim, stating to Reuters: “That is false.”
Izzat El-Reshiq, a high-ranking Hamas member living in another country, stated that the organization had not been informed by mediators about any new dates for the talks to restart, despite what the Israeli media had reported.
Reshiq reiterated the demands of Hamas, which involve putting an end to the aggression entirely and permanently across all of Gaza Strip, not just Rafah.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has emphasized that the war will only conclude once Hamas is eradicated, even as Israel continues to work towards the release of hostages.