By YourNews | Source
The Israeli leader accuses Hamas of violating the U.S.-brokered truce by returning the remains of a hostage instead of all those agreed upon.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday ordered the military to launch “powerful strikes” in Gaza after Hamas allegedly violated the U.S.-brokered ceasefire by opening fire on Israeli troops and returning a single hostage’s remains rather than fulfilling its commitment to repatriate all bodies.
The announcement followed reports that Israeli forces in southern Gaza came under attack, prompting an exchange of fire in the Rafah area. Netanyahu described the incident as a “clear violation” of the fragile truce, saying Israel would not tolerate continued aggression or delays in the return of its citizens.
“We have ordered the army to respond with powerful strikes,” Netanyahu’s office said, calling the move a necessary defense of Israeli sovereignty and of the families of the remaining hostages.
The violation occurred just hours after Hamas returned what Israel identified as the remains of Ofir Tzarfati, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival during the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack that launched the war. Tzarfati’s family said this was the third time they had been forced to reopen his grave after partial remains were returned in stages over the past two years.
Since the ceasefire began on October 10, Israel says Hamas has returned 15 bodies of Israeli hostages, while Israel has handed over 195 Palestinian bodies in exchange. The ceasefire’s terms required Hamas to immediately return all hostage remains before further negotiations on disarmament and postwar governance in Gaza.
Israeli media reported that Netanyahu had considered several responses, including halting humanitarian aid to Gaza, expanding Israeli ground control, or striking Hamas leadership compounds.
The truce, already strained by mistrust, has been complicated by Hamas’ claim that it is struggling to locate bodies amid widespread destruction, while Israel accuses the group of deliberately stalling. Egyptian teams have been assisting with recovery operations in Khan Younis and Nuseirat using heavy equipment.
In a parallel operation, Israeli security forces killed three Palestinian terrorists near Jenin in the northern West Bank during an overnight raid. Israeli police said the men were emerging from a cave when they were shot. A subsequent airstrike destroyed the site. Hamas later identified two of the men as members of its Qassam Brigades.
The Gaza Health Ministry claims more than 68,500 Palestinians have died in the two-year conflict, a figure Israel disputes, saying it includes large numbers of Hamas operatives.
Tuesday’s escalation marks the most serious rupture of the ceasefire since its start and renews doubts over international efforts to stabilize the region — an effort closely monitored by Washington, Cairo, and Doha.
Israeli officials said the latest strikes were aimed at ensuring Hamas “pays a price for every violation,” underscoring Netanyahu’s message that Israel “will not rest until every hostage is returned and every threat in Gaza is neutralized.”