The Israel Defense Forces said it carried out a pair of drone strikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday — one targeting a group of gunmen who were approaching Israeli forces in one area and the other as a warning when a car drove near soldiers in another.

Palestinian media reported that the first drone strike killed three Hamas police officers east of the city of Rafah in the southern Strip, which the terror group called “a serious violation” of the ceasefire in effect since January 19.

“The IDF continues to call on Gazans to obey the IDF instructions and not approach the forces deployed to the area,” the Israeli military said.

The Hamas-controlled interior ministry in Gaza said it “condemns this crime and calls upon the mediators and the international community to compel the occupation to stop targeting the police force, which is a civil apparatus.”

It claimed the policemen were deployed in the area to secure the entry of aid trucks into Gaza.

Hamas, in its own response, said “The treacherous firing carried out by a Zionist drone this morning east of Rafah city, targeting police elements tasked with securing the entry of aid… is considered a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement.”

Later in the day, the IDF confirmed carrying out another drone strike that had been reported in Palestinian media, saying it was a warning after suspects in a vehicle tried to drive to the Strip’s north via an unapproved route, in violation of the ceasefire.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Separately, the IDF said it fired warning shots........

© The Times of Israel