Hamas said Tuesday it had contacted mediators and Gaza's Board of Peace representative Nikolay Mladenov to urge pressure on Israel to halt escalating violations in the Gaza Strip and comply with the ceasefire agreement.
The group said contacts followed an Israeli military operation in Gaza that was accompanied by airstrikes that killed and wounded Palestinians.
Hamas said its leadership strongly condemned a "criminal operation" carried out by Israeli forces in Gaza and the accompanying attacks and bombardment that killed Palestinians and wounded others.
It said it asked mediators and guarantors to exert "maximum pressure" on the Israeli government to stop the attacks, honor the ceasefire and implement its obligations under the agreement.
The group also urged a "clear and strong" international position condemning the attacks and warned of the consequences of allowing them to continue.
Hamas warned that the Israeli escalation was aimed at undermining the ceasefire, derailing efforts to complete its implementation and creating conditions for the continuation of Israel's war on Gaza.
It said continued attacks placed an urgent responsibility on mediators and guarantors to act to halt the escalation and prevent Israel from pushing the situation back toward wider conflict.
Earlier Tuesday, three Palestinians were killed and more than 20 others, including children, were injured in intensive Israeli strikes on the Al-Katiba area west of Gaza City, medical sources told Anadolu.
Witnesses said more than 16 strikes were carried out in less than 30 minutes, alongside heavy Israeli gunfire and intensive flights by warplanes and drones.
Ismail al-Thawabta, director-general of Gaza's government media office, said an Israeli special forces unit attempted to carry out a security operation inside the city but was detected, prompting the Israeli army to provide air cover. He said the operation resulted in Palestinian deaths and injuries as well as the deaths of several members of the special forces unit.
The Israeli army, meanwhile, said it had struck "a number of targets" in Gaza City to "remove threats" to its forces. It denied that any of its troops were injured. Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed that Israeli forces had detained a "senior Hamas leader" but did not identify him.
Al-Katiba is one of the most densely populated areas for displaced Palestinians in western Gaza. It includes the American Hospital, universities and commercial businesses, increasing the risks to civilians and triggering panic among Palestinians and those who are displaced living in tents in the area and nearby.
Israel launched a genocide on Gaza on Oct.8, 2023. The onslaught continued for two years, causing widespread destruction, while Israeli violations have continued despite a ceasefire that has been in effect since Oct. 10, 2025.
The violations have killed 1,318 Palestinians and wounded 4,375 others, while rescue teams have recovered hundreds of bodies from under the rubble, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
As of Tuesday, Israel's genocide on Gaza since October 2023 had killed about 73,462 Palestinians and wounded 174,509 others, according to the ministry.
