Gaza Cease-Fire Strained by New Flare-Up of Violence

Israel accused Palestinian militants on Sunday of attacking its forces across cease-fire lines in Gaza and said it had launched airstrikes in retaliation.

The new flare-up of violence reflected the fragility of the truce, which came into effect more than a week ago and has raised hopes that the two-year war might be drawing to a close. It was the latest in a series of violent episodes in Gaza since the cease-fire took hold.

The Israeli military said in a statement that militants had fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire toward its troops in the area of Rafah in southern Gaza. It called the actions “a blatant violation” of the cease-fire agreement.

In response, the military said, Israeli forces were striking in the area “to eliminate the threat” and dismantle tunnel shafts and other military structures. There were no immediate reports of casualties on either side.

Although the military’s statement did not mention Hamas by name, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel blamed the group for the latest violence. He said he had consulted with his defense minister and security chiefs and had instructed them to act forcefully against militant targets in Gaza.

Hamas’s military wing said in a statement that it was “unaware of any events or clashes taking place in the Rafah area.” The military wing added that it has had no contact with its fighters there since an earlier, temporary cease-fire collapsed in March and therefore has “no connection to any events taking place in those areas.”