Sawt Falasteen - Israel says killed four militants exiting Gaza tunnel

Despite a US-brokered truce entering its second phase last month, violence has continued in the Palestinian territory, with Israel and Hamas trading accusations of ceasefire violations.

"A short while ago, four armed terrorists exited an underground tunnel shaft and fired towards soldiers in the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip.... Following identification, the troops eliminated the terrorists," the military said in a statement.

It said none of its troops had been injured in the attack, which it called a "blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement".

Israeli troops "are continuing to operate in the area to locate and eliminate all the terrorists within the underground tunnel route", the military added.

Hamas said in late November that dozens of its fighters were holed up in southern Gaza's tunnels, beneath areas controlled by the Israeli military.

This was a sticking point in the early days of the ceasefire, with Israel insisting the militants posed a security threat, while Hamas sought safe passage for them.

Since then, many of the fighters have been killed in clashes with Israeli troops during operations targeting tunnels near Rafah, according to the military.

Rafah lies in an area held by Israeli forces following their withdrawal behind a so-called "Yellow Line" under the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire, in effect since October 10.

Israeli troops still control more than half of Gaza, while the rest remains under Hamas authority.

The Israeli military has in recent weeks launched waves of strikes on Gaza over what it says are violations of the fragile truce.

Last Wednesday, Gaza health officials said Israeli air strikes killed 24 people, with Israel's military saying the attacks were in response to one of its officers being wounded by enemy gunfire.

- 20,000 fighters left -

Gaza's health ministry -- which operates under Hamas authority -- says at least 581 people have been killed by Israeli forces since the ceasefire took effect.

The Israeli military says four of its soldiers have been killed over the same period.

Wednesday's strikes came after Israel on February 2 partly reopened the Rafah border crossing with Egypt -- Gaza's only gateway to the outside world that doesn't pass through Israel.

Israeli forces seized it in May 2024 and it had remained largely closed since.

Around 180 Palestinians have left the Gaza Strip since Rafah's limited reopening, according to officials.

The crossing is open only for the movement of people, not to long-called for aid, and Israel has so far restricted passage to patients and their accompanying relatives.

The Gaza ceasefire's second phase also foresees a demilitarisation of the territory -- including the disarmament of Hamas -- along with a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Hamas has repeatedly said that disarmament is a red line, although it has indicated it could consider handing over its weapons to a future Palestinian governing authority.

Israeli officials say Hamas still has around 20,000 fighters and about 60,000 Kalashnikov rifles in Gaza.

A Palestinian technocratic committee has been set up with a goal of taking over day-to-day governance in the strip, but it remains unclear whether, or how, it will address the issue of demilitarisation.

Y.AlMasri--SF-PST