JERUSALEM: Israel’s army said it struck two rocket launch sites in the Gaza Strip on Monday after a projectile was fired from one of them and landed inside the Palestinian territory.
This was at least the third time in the last two weeks that Israeli forces struck targets in Gaza according to army statements, contributing to tensions over a fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war that has largely held since January 19.
The army said in a statement on Monday that it had identified “a projectile launch that fell inside the Gaza Strip”.
The military “struck the launch site from which the projectile was fired, as well as an additional launch site in the area,” it said.
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The first phase of the Gaza truce, which went into effect after of than 15 months of devastating war, is due to expire in early March, with no agreements yet on a subsequent phase that could cement the ceasefire.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said that Israel was prepared to resume the war “at any moment”, after suspending the release of Palestinian prisoners under the truce deal.
Since the ceasefire began, Gaza have freed 25 living Israeli hostages in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails.
Announcing the delay in releasing Palestinians in Israeli custody, Netanyahu has cited the “humiliating ceremonies” in Gaza that the Israeli hostages are forced to participate in prior to their handover.
Palestinian group Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war, has warned that Israel’s decision could jeopardise the “entire agreement”.
