Hamas attacked checkpoint at entrance to Gaza Strip with rockets
Hamas terrorists killed three Israeli soldiers (photo: Getty Images)
On Sunday, May 5, the armed wing of the Palestinian group Hamas attacked the checkpoint at the entrance to the Gaza Strip with rockets. As a result of the attack, three Israeli servicemen were killed, according to Reuters.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that 10 projectiles were fired from the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip towards the checkpoint area, which is currently closed to trucks heading to the coastal enclave.
Hamas reported that they launched rockets at an Israeli military base near the crossing but did not specify the location of the launch. Terrorist sources indicated that the target of the shelling was not a commercial crossing.
Israel stated that three IDF soldiers were killed as a result of the attack, with another 11 servicemen seriously injured.
Act of revenge
Soon after the Hamas attack, Israeli aircraft struck a building in Rafah. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, nine people were killed, and several others were injured in the attack.
The Israeli military confirmed the retaliatory strike, stating that it targeted the launch site from which the terrorists fired projectiles, as well as a nearby military facility.
"The launches carried out by Hamas adjacent to the Rafah Crossing ... are a clear example of the terrorist organization's systematic exploitation of humanitarian facilities and spaces and their continued use of the Gazan civilian population as human shields," the statement said.
Hamas denies using the civilian population of Rafah as a human shield. The city near the border with Egypt is home to over a million Palestinian refugees.
The attack occurred amid ongoing ceasefire talks in Cairo, casting doubt on the likelihood of a quick agreement.
Peace talks between Israel and Hamas
The war started after terrorists attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and capturing 252 hostages on the first day alone.
At the end of October, the Israeli army began a military operation in the Gaza Strip against Hamas, which is ongoing.
At the beginning of the year, the US, Egypt, and Qatar proposed a ceasefire plan under which the parties would exchange hostages, Israel would withdraw its troops from the region, and the military operation against Islamists would cease. Negotiations are ongoing.
CNN has not ruled out that the parties may agree to a ceasefire in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied the possibility of making peace with Hamas, as he believes it would only bring the next war closer.
