[ad_1]
Gaza City (Palestinians), Gaza Strip (AFP) – Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, leaving six dead Palestinians dead, officials said, while potentially dashing hopes that a recent agreement would restore calm.
As tensions rose following the clash, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he would cut his trip to Paris, where he had been attending World War I commemorations, and return home.
Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the blockaded Gaza Strip, denounced a "cowardly Israeli attack".
After the erupted clash, sirens have been reported in southern Israel indicating possible rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.
Ten launches from Gaza to Israel were identified by Israeli missile defense, the army said. It was not immediately clear where the others had landed.
Details were still emerging from the incident that Palestinian officials said occurred east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Gaza's health ministry said six Palestinians were killed.
The dead included a local commander for Hamas' armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the brigades said in a statement.
Israel's army did not provide details
"During (Israeli military) operational activity in the Gaza Strip," an Israeli army statement said.
Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said on Twitter the army "operated in the Gaza strip, exchange of gunfire ensued."
"All IDF soldiers back in Israel," he wrote, referring to Israel Defense Forces. "Several alarms have sounded in Southern Israel."
Hamas's army wing alleged in an Israeli special forces team infiltrated by Khan Yunis in a civilian car.
Israel's military did not confirm those details nor described what type of operation it carried out.
A ground operation inside the Gaza Strip would be rare and likely significantly boost tensions.
– 'Protection money' –
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman held security consultations at the military headquarters, his office said.
The clash comes after months of deadly unrest along the Gaza-Israel border had appeared to be calming.
Recent weeks have seen Israeli settlements to provide the Gaza Strip with millions of dollars in aid to the electricity crisis.
Netanyahu had earlier defended his decision to allow him to do so, he said it was not necessary.
"I'm doing what I can, in coordination with the security establishment, to return to the southern communities, but also to prevent a humanitarian crisis," Netanyahu said late Saturday, referring to the Gaza Strip. the enclave.
Naftali Bennett, Netanyahu's education minister and right-wing rival, compared the cash flow to "protection money" paid to criminals.
Lieberman said he had "transferring the money to Hamas".
Israel and Palestinian activists in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008, and recent months of unrest have been raised.
Deadly clashes have accompanied major protests along the Gaza-Israel border that began on March 30.
At least 227 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, the majority shot during protests and clashes, since the demonstrations began, while others died in tank fire or air strikes.
One Israeli soldier has been killed along the Gaza border in that time.
On Friday, Palestinian civil servants were treated in Gaza with $ 15 million delivered to the enclave through Israel in Qatar by suitcases.
A total of $ 90 million was distributed in six monthly installments, Gaza authorities said, mainly to cover salaries of officials working for Hamas.
Qatar has also said it would hand over $ 100 to each of 50,000 poor families, to more Palestinians wounded in clashes along the Gaza-Israel border.
The Gulf emirate has also been introduced to supplement its fuel levels.
