At least nine Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the northern and southern Gaza Strip on Sunday, Palestinian civil defence and health officials said, in what Israel's military called a response to Hamas ceasefire violations.
Medics said an Israeli airstrike on a tent encampment housing displaced families killed at least four people, while health officials said another strike killed five in Khan Younis in the south.
"In recent hours, the IDF has begun striking in response to Hamas's blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement yesterday in the Beit Hanoun area," an Israeli military official said, adding that "terrorists emerged from a tunnel east of the yellow line".
The official called Sunday's strikes "precise" and in line with international law, and said the Palestinian militant group had committed more than six violations of an October ceasefire, including deploying east of the "Yellow Line" agreed under the ceasefire to demarcate Israeli- and Hamas-controlled areas.
"Crossing the yellow line in the vicinity of IDF troops, while armed, is an explicit ceasefire violation - and demonstrates how Hamas systematically violates the ceasefire agreement with intent to harm IDF troops," the official said.
