Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday ordered the military to “carry out powerful attacks” in Gaza, accusing Hamas of violating the fragile ceasefire in the Palestinian territory, according to Reuters.
The announcement comes as disputes over hostages and their remains have become a major source of tension, threatening to unravel months of delicate diplomacy.
Israeli military officials told Reuters that Hamas had violated the ceasefire by carrying out an attack against Israeli forces in an area under Israeli control. “This is yet another blatant violation of the ceasefire,” one official said, highlighting how quickly tensions could escalate if neither side steps back.
Netanyahu also accused Hamas of mishandling the remains of hostages during the handover process, claims that Hamas has denied. The group had initially planned to hand over the body of a missing hostage found in a tunnel on Tuesday but postponed the handover, citing what it described as Israeli breaches of the ceasefire.
Local media reported exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. While the Israeli military did not immediately comment, the developments show how quickly even localized skirmishes could threaten to unravel the ceasefire. Hamas maintains it is complying with the agreement and suggested that Israel is seeking excuses to avoid its obligations.
The U.S.-backed ceasefire, which went into effect on October 10, 2025, ended two years of devastating conflict triggered by Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Under the agreement, Hamas released all living hostages in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian convicts and wartime detainees, while Israel withdrew troops and halted its offensive.
The handover of deceased hostages, however, remains complicated. Gaza is heavily damaged, and Hamas says retrieving the bodies will take time, while Israel insists the group has access to most of them.
The search for remains has intensified recently with the arrival of heavy machinery from Egypt, deployed in Khan Younis and Nuseirat, southern Gaza. Bulldozers work amid Hamas fighters providing security, with some bodies believed to be hidden in tunnels. Gaza health authorities report 68,000 confirmed deaths from Israeli strikes, with thousands more missing, reflecting the devastating human toll of the conflict, according to Reuters.
Analysts warn that if neither side exercises restraint, the situation could escalate rapidly, potentially reigniting full-scale hostilities.
