Web Desk: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his military to launch “immediate and powerful strikes” on the Gaza Strip, accusing Hamas of violating a recently brokered ceasefire.
According to an official statement, Netanyahu alleged that Hamas breached the truce and attacked Israeli soldiers, claim Hamas has denied. The statement also asserted that the body recently handed over by Hamas was not that of an Israeli hostage still missing in Gaza, but rather remains belonging to Ofir Tzarfati, whose body was recovered in late 2023.
Israel described the act as a “clear violation” of the ceasefire reached two weeks ago through U.S., Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediation.
In response, Hamas said it remains fully committed to the peace agreement but requires assistance to recover bodies buried under the rubble caused by two years of continuous Israeli bombardment. Gaza’s Government Media Office countered that it is Israel, not Hamas, that has repeatedly violated the truce claiming 125 breaches since the October 10 ceasefire, resulting in 94 Palestinian deaths.
There are ongoing explosions and drone activity across Gaza despite the declared truce. Since Israel’s offensive began in October 2023, at least 68,527 Palestinians have been killed and over 170,000 injured, according to local health authorities.
Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks inside Israel left 1,139 people dead and around 200 taken hostage, sparking one of the deadliest and most protracted conflicts in the region’s history.
Netanyahu’s latest directive, issued following a high-level security consultation, has raised fears of renewed escalation in Gaza just weeks after international mediators hailed a fragile ceasefire deal.
