Israeli warplanes struck several targets in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to carry out “powerful attacks,” accusing Hamas of violating the fragile ceasefire agreement brokered earlier this month by United States President Donald Trump.
At least nine people were killed in the latest strikes, according to Gaza health authorities. Four deaths were reported in Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood, while five others were killed when a vehicle was hit in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the territory.
The Israeli military did not immediately issue a statement regarding the strikes, but a senior military official said the offensive came in response to a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement by Hamas.
“This is yet another blatant violation of the ceasefire,” the official told reporters, claiming that Hamas militants carried out an attack against Israeli forces in an area of Gaza under Israeli control.
The Prime Minister’s Office, in a brief statement, said Netanyahu had “ordered immediate and powerful attacks on Hamas targets in Gaza,” but did not specify the exact nature of the alleged violations.
The United States-brokered ceasefire, which took effect on October 10, was meant to end two years of devastating conflict that erupted after Hamas-led fighters launched a surprise assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. That attack left about 1,200 people dead and 251 others taken as hostage, sparking an Israeli military campaign that, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, has since killed more than 68,500 Palestinians.
The fragile truce has been repeatedly tested in recent weeks, with both Israel and Hamas trading accusations of ceasefire breaches. Tuesday’s escalation marks one of the most serious flare-ups since the agreement came into effect.
Israel’s Defence Minister said Hamas fighters attacked Israeli soldiers in Gaza earlier this week, a claim Hamas has denied. The militant group instead accused Israel of “obstructing efforts” to search for the remains of hostages still believed to be buried beneath the rubble in the enclave.
The renewed hostilities also follow tensions over a failed exchange of remains. Israel said a coffin handed over by Hamas on Monday “did not contain the body of a deceased hostage,” prompting outrage from Israeli officials. Hamas responded by announcing it was postponing the planned handover of another dead hostage in protest.
Of the remaining Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, all but one were among those abducted during the October 7, 2023, attack. Families of the captives have repeatedly urged both sides to uphold the ceasefire to allow for further exchanges and humanitarian relief.
