CAIRO (Reuters) – Hamas militants were engaged in “fierce fighting” with Israeli soldiers on Thursday in the south of the Gaza Strip near Rafah, the Palestinian militant group said.
The statement, issued on Telegram, suggests that Hamas is still active in areas where the Israeli military has expanded its control, more than 19 months after the start of Israel’s air and ground campaign in Gaza.
The group has rarely reported fighting around Rafah in recent months, with most clashes reported in the eastern area of the nearby city of Khan Younis and northern parts of the coastal territory.
Israel said earlier this month it would further extend its offensive in Gaza.
Israel resumed its offensive in March after the collapse of a fragile, U.S.-backed ceasefire that had halted fighting for six weeks.
(Reporting by Nidal Al Mughrabi; Writing by Ahmed Elimam and Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
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