GAZA CITY - Israel's government said Sunday it struck "dozens of Hamas terror targets" across Gaza in response to earlier attacks against its troops by Hamas militants in southern Gaza, a sudden escalation of violence that threatened to derail a fragile ceasefire that's been in effect for less than a week.  Hamas responded that it was not involved in any attacks and was committed to the ceasefire.  Israel's military said Sunday that "terrorists" had attacked Israeli troops operating in the Rafah area with gunfire and an anti-tank missile.  In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "directed that strong action be taken against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip," his office said in a post on X.  Israel's military said it struck the area to respond to the attacks and also to dismantle tunnel shafts and other structures used by Hamas, calling the violence against its troops a "blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement." The military later said that the strikes had targeted "weapons storage facilities, firing posts, terrorist cells and additional Hamas terror infrastructure."  Hamas said in a statement that it had been cut off from its remaining groups in the Rafah area and was "unaware" of any violence taking place there, and added that it remained fully committed to the ceasefire agreement, the BBC reported.

Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq also accused Israel in a statement on Sunday of "violating the deal and fabricating pretexts to justify its crimes."  Hamas has been carrying out a deadly crackdown against rival militias and clans in Gaza, but it's unclear if Sunday's violence was connected to that. The U.S. State Department said Saturday that it had "credible reports" that Hamas was planning an attack against Palestinian civilians that would violate the terms of the ceasefire.