JERUSALEM, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said an officer was lightly injured on Wednesday in an explosive device attack in Gaza, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said was carried out by Hamas.
The Israeli military said "an explosive device was detonated against an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) vehicle during operational activity aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure in the area of Rafah," adding that the injured officer had been evacuated to hospital. It did not specify which group it believed was responsible.
Later in the day, Netanyahu blamed the attack on Hamas, saying that the attack, along with Hamas' "ongoing and continuing public refusal to disarm," constituted a "flagrant violation" of the ceasefire.
"Hamas must be held to the agreement that it signed, which includes removal from governance, demilitarization and de-radicalization," Netanyahu said in a statement, adding that Israel "will respond accordingly."
Netanyahu is scheduled to visit the United States and meet President Donald Trump later this month. The two are expected to discuss the White House's push to advance to the second phase of the U.S. plan for Gaza, which includes a full Israeli military withdrawal from the enclave -- a move senior ministers in Netanyahu's cabinet have said they would oppose.
After two years of war in Gaza, a mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on Oct. 10. However, Israeli forces have since then continued to carry out strikes across Gaza, citing alleged ceasefire violations and the need to eliminate threats. According to Gaza's health authorities, at least 406 Palestinians have been killed and 1,118 injured since the ceasefire began, bringing the overall death toll from Israeli fire to 70,942 since the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023.
The phased U.S. plan for Gaza also envisages Hamas being disarmed and having no governing role in the territory, the establishment of a transitional governing authority and the deployment of an international stabilization force in Gaza in a subsequent phase. ■
