Jerusalem ? Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip fired a barrage of rockets and mortars into Israel Tuesday, declaring an end to a five-month cease-fire.

Hamas’ military wing said the early-morning volley came in response to Israeli actions it claimed effectively had ended the truce. Over the weekend, Israeli forces killed at least eight Palestinians, most of them fighters, during military operations in the West Bank and an air strike in Gaza, and Hamas leaders warned of possible retaliation.

But the Israeli military said Tuesday’s barrage was meant as cover for a “large-scale operation” by Hamas. An army spokesman declined to elaborate, but Israeli media reported that officials believed Hamas was seeking to capture one of its soldiers in a cross-border raid.

Israeli forces thwarted the attempted operation, the spokesman said, without providing details.