Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to carry out strong attacks in Gaza, claiming that Hamas violated a ceasefire agreement. The military official stated this violation occurred after Hamas attacked Israeli forces in an area controlled by Israel. Netanyahu further accused Hamas of breaching the ceasefire by providing incorrect remains during the transfer of hostages’ bodies back to Israel.
Hamas had initially announced that it would return a missing hostage’s body found in a tunnel in Gaza, but later postponed it, citing Israel’s violations. Reports indicated an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hamas in the southern city of Rafah, and the Israeli military did not comment on these reports. Hamas defended itself, insisting it was following the ceasefire terms, while Netanyahu was accused of seeking excuses to avoid Israel’s responsibilities.
The ceasefire, backed by the U. S., began on October 10, stopping two years of conflict that started after deadly Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. Both sides have accused each other of breaking the ceasefire. According to the agreement, Hamas released living hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, while Israel halted its military offensive. The process of recovering the bodies of dead hostages has been complicated due to the extent of destruction in Gaza. Currently, Gaza health authorities report 68,000 deaths due to Israeli strikes since the conflict began.
With information from Reuters