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Egyptian troops and the Israel Defense Forces exchanged gunfire at the Rafah border crossing in the Gaza Strip on Monday, The Times of Israel reported.
Other Israeli media reported that one Egyptian soldier was killed in Monday's incident.
The Israel Defense Forces said “a shooting occurred on the Egyptian border,” adding: “The incident is under investigation and we are in discussions with the Egyptian side.”
“Relevant authorities are investigating a shooting incident which occurred in the Rafah border area, resulting in the martyrdom of one of our troops on guard duty,” the Egyptian army said in a statement later.
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The Rafah border crossing on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip in November 2023. (REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghani)
The shootout came just hours after Israeli airstrikes on a Hamas stronghold in Rafah killed two Hamas officials and dozens of civilians.
The exact death toll is currently unknown, but the IDF confirmed that it struck a Hamas compound where “significant Hamas terrorists were operating.”
The Israel Defense Forces said it carried out the strikes “against legitimate targets under international law.”
An IDF source told Fox News Digital that the attack killed Yasin Rabiya, a commander in Hamas' leadership in Judea and Samaria, and Khaled Nagar, a senior member of Hamas' Judea and Samaria branch.
The Israel Defense Forces said the two suspects carried out numerous terror attacks that killed Israeli civilians and soldiers in the early 2000s.
Israeli airstrikes in Rafah kill two top Hamas commanders and dozens of civilians
A fire breaks out after an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, May 26. (Reuters/Reuters TV TPX Images of the Day)
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed reports that the airstrike and subsequent fire “injured several civilians in the area,” and said the incident was “under investigation.”
“Despite our best efforts to avoid harming innocent civilians, a tragic mistake was made last night,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in the Israeli parliament on Monday, according to the Associated Press. “We are investigating what happened and will reach a conclusion, because that is our policy.”
Last week, the UN Supreme Court issued an order calling on Israel to “immediately cease military attacks” against Hamas in Rafah, the Palestinian terrorist group's last stronghold in the Gaza Strip.
“The military ground offensive in Rafah that Israel launched on 7 May 2024 continues and new evacuation orders have been issued,” the International Court of Justice said in its ruling. “As a result, according to a UN report, approximately 800,000 people have been displaced from Rafah as of 18 May 2024.”
“The enormous humanitarian risks associated with the military offensive in Rafah are beginning to materialize and will become even more severe as the operation continues,” it added.
The IDF said: “Forces continue operations against terrorist targets in the Rafah area.” (Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson's Office)
But when asked about the ICJ order, Israeli government spokesman Avi Heyman asserted on Friday that “no power on earth can stop Israel from defending its people and going after Hamas in the Gaza Strip.”
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“We will destroy Hamas and restore peace and security to the people of Israel and Gaza,” Hyman added. “We cannot allow a genocidal terrorist regime to exist on our southern border.”
Fox News' Bradford Betts and Trey Yingst contributed to this report.