Hamas militants reported “fierce fighting” with Israeli soldiers in the southern Gaza Strip near Rafah on Thursday.
The statement, released via Telegram, suggests that Hamas maintains activity in areas where the Israeli military has expanded its control during its ongoing campaign in Gaza, which has now lasted over 19 months.
While Hamas has reported relatively few clashes near Rafah in recent months, fighting has been more frequent in the eastern areas of Khan Younis and in northern Gaza.
The clashes come as Israel announced earlier this month that it would further extend its offensive in Gaza. The Israeli operation resumed in March after the collapse of a U.S.-backed ceasefire that had been in place for six weeks.
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