Israel says it has responded to an attack on Israeli forces in southern Gaza with airstrikes in the area of Rafah, the first major test of the US -brokered ceasefire.

An Israeli military official says Hamas attacked Israeli forces in Rafah with rocket-propelled grenades and sniper fire, prompting Israel to carry out strikes in the area - nine days after the ceasefire began.

The Israeli source familiar with the matter said Israeli forces suffered casualties as a result of the attacks. The incident occurred beyond the yellow line – the initial Israeli withdrawal boundary outlined in the ceasefire agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security consultation on Sunday morning with Defence Minister Israel Katz and military chiefs following the incident

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