(VOVWORLD) - The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday carried out airstrikes in the southern part of the Gaza strip, targeting infrastructure used by Hamas.
The IDF said the attacks were in response to gunfire from Hamas militants directed at Israeli soldiers.
According to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, Hamas fighters fired an anti-tank missile and several rounds of ammunition at IDF forces in Rafah, a move described as a new violation of the current ceasefire.
In response, Netanyahu ordered an immediate and strong strike on Gaza and decided to expand the area under Israeli military control within the enclave.
The decision came after Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting with senior defense and security officials to discuss Israel’s response to what it called repeated ceasefire violations by Hamas.
An Israeli official said Israel's response to the latest attacks would be significantly stronger than previous actions. Meanwhile, a military source confirmed that the IDF were engaging with fire to prevent Hamas from further threatening Israeli soldiers positioned inside the "Yellow Line" – the boundary separating the two sides under the ceasefire agreement.
Shortly after the strikes, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced the postponement of the handover of another hostage's body, which had been scheduled for Tuesday, citing Israel's violations of the US-brokered ceasefire agreement.