Hamas has accused Israel of violating a ceasefire in Gaza after its army carried out attacks far beyond an agreed “yellow line” that separates the areas under Israeli and Palestinian control.
On Wednesday, the Israeli army attacked the Gaza city suburbs of Zeitoun and Shujaiya and the city of Khan Younis in the south. The attacks left at least 32 dead, including 12 children and eight women, and 88 more injured, according to the enclave's Health Ministry.
Israel “is committing a blatant violation by its ongoing efforts to shift the yellow line westward on a daily basis, resulting in the mass displacement of our people”, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a statement.
“This change to the yellow line contravenes the maps agreed upon in the ceasefire agreement,” Mr Qassem added. He called on mediators to pressure Israel to immediately stop the violations.
The Gaza government media office said the Israeli army entered the east of Gaza city and moved the yellow line markers, expanding the area it controls by 300 metres in Al Shaaf, Al Nazzaz and Baghdad streets.
Dozens of families living in those areas were trapped by the army's tank incursion, the media office added.
“The fate of many of these families remains unknown amidst the shelling that targeted the area,” it said.
The office added that 400 ceasefire violations have been recorded since the agreement came into effect on October 10. At least 312 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since then, according to the Health Ministry.
The Israeli military said its strikes on Wednesday were responding to militants who had opened fire on its forces in Khan Younis earlier in the day. It said no soldiers were killed.
Hamas described the Israeli strikes across Gaza city and Khan Younis as a “shocking massacre”. The group denied firing towards Israeli troops.
Qatar, a key mediator, on Thursday condemned the attacks. Its foreign ministry said it considers the Israeli strikes “a dangerous escalation that threatens to undermine the ceasefire agreement”.
Qatar called for “concerted regional and international efforts” to uphold the agreement.
Israeli strikes have decreased since the ceasefire agreement took effect, though they have not stopped entirely.
More than 69,500 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas-led militants abducting 251 people and killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7, 2023 attacks.
