At least 19 people have been killed after the Israeli prime minister ordered his military to immediately carry out “powerful” attacks on Gaza.
Benjamin Netanyahu made the announcement shortly after claiming Hamas had opened fire on Israeli forces in southern Gaza. Hamas has denied any involvement.
Dozens are reported to have been injured after Israeli forces launched strikes in various areas across Gaza, including Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis, and hit a courtyard of Shifa Hospital, the largest operational hospital in northern Gaza.
Tensions were already high after Israel accused Hamas of breaching the fragile ceasefire agreement by handing back additional remains of hostage Ofir Tzarfati, who had already been recovered and buried in 2023.
The prime minister’s office said the transfer was a “clear violation” of the agreement, which has increasingly come under strain over the return of hostage bodies.
Mr Netanyahu subsequently held a security assessment with defence officials to discuss a response.
Hamas was expected to hand over a body it had recovered from a tunnel in Gaza on Tuesday, but announced it would delay the return after Israel revealed its plans to strike. Hamas’s armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, announced the postponement, citing what it said were Israel’s violations of the ceasefire.
Amid a delicate ceasefire, an Israeli military official said troops had retaliated after Hamas fired on Israeli forces in Rafah earlier on Tuesday.
They said the attack in the southern city of Rafah, which is under Israeli control, was “yet another blatant violation of the ceasefire”.
Hamas has yet to return the bodies of 13 hostages, which it said were difficult to locate amid the destruction in Gaza. Israel has accused the group of deliberately delaying the handover.
Tzarfati was kidnapped in the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival on 7 October 2023, and was killed in captivity.
In a statement, his family said this was the third time they had been “forced to open Ofir’s grave and rebury our son”. Israeli troops recovered his body in November 2023, and in March 2024, his family received additional remains for burial.
This is the second time the handover of remains has proved problematic, after Hamas gave back the body of an unidentified Palestinian in the first week of the ceasefire.
Hamas expanded its search for the bodies of the hostages on Sunday, after Egypt deployed a team of experts and heavy equipment to help locate them.
On Saturday, US president Donald Trump said he would be watching Hamas’s return of the deceased hostages “very closely” over the following days.
Israel-Gaza latest: Ceasefire in tatters after attacks leave at least 19 dead
Government’s aid cuts will threaten UK national security, say MPs
Stormont Education Minister Paul Givan under fire over visit to Israel
Pope reaffirms dialogue with Jews as he marks 60th anniversary of a key document
Video: Explosions seen over Gaza skyline after Netanyahu ordered ‘powerful strikes’
Israel accuses Hamas of returning ‘additional remains’ of hostage already retrieved
