Netanyahu Orders Heavy Strikes On Gaza After Hamas Accused Of Violating Ceasefire
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the military to launch intense strikes on the Gaza Strip after accusing Hamas of breaching the US-brokered ceasefire.
In a statement from his office on Tuesday, Netanyahu said the order followed security consultations, instructing the military to “immediately carry out powerful strikes in the Gaza Strip.” No further details were provided.
The directive came shortly after Hamas announced it was delaying the handover of another hostage’s remains, alleging that Israel had violated the terms of the truce. The group warned that any further Israeli escalation would interfere with efforts to locate and recover more bodies.
“We will postpone the handover that was scheduled for today due to the occupation’s violations,” Hamas’s armed wing said, claiming that any aggression would hinder recovery operations.
The renewed tension erupted after Hamas on Monday returned what it said was the 16th of 28 hostage bodies agreed to be handed over under the October 10 ceasefire. But Israeli officials later discovered that the remains were partial fragments of Ofir Tzarfati, a hostage whose body had already been recovered from Gaza two years earlier.
Netanyahu’s office denounced the act as a “clear violation of the agreement,” accusing Hamas of deliberate deceit.
Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian claimed that Hamas staged the handover, saying the group “dug a hole, placed the partial remains of Ofir inside, covered it back up, and handed it to the Red Cross.” She stressed that Israel’s response would be made “in full coordination with US President Donald Trump and his team.”
Meanwhile, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged the government to act firmly, calling Hamas’s actions a deliberate provocation.
“In light of Hamas’s severe breach of the agreement, the Israeli government cannot and must not ignore this,” the group said. “It must act decisively against these violations to protect the integrity of the ceasefire and ensure justice for the hostages.”
