Israeli airstrikes kill at least 26 in Gaza after accusing Hamas of violating a US-brokered ceasefire, with both sides trading blame.
JERUSALEM/CAIRO: Israeli warplanes conducted strikes across Gaza following accusations that Hamas violated a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
Local health authorities confirmed the airstrikes killed at least twenty-six people in multiple locations throughout the territory.
The Israeli military initiated these powerful attacks after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued the order for an immediate response.
An Israeli military official stated Hamas had broken the ceasefire by attacking Israeli forces in a controlled area of the enclave.
This recent violence represents another significant challenge to the fragile truce that began on October 10.
Both Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused each other of failing to adhere to the ceasefire terms.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the skirmish but expressed confidence that the president’s peace agreement would hold.
Earlier reports indicated an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Hamas leadership denied responsibility for any attack on Israeli forces and reaffirmed their commitment to the ceasefire.
Netanyahu specifically accused Hamas of violating the agreement by mishandling the return of hostage remains.
Hamas initially planned to hand over a hostage’s body on Tuesday but later postponed the transfer.
The militant group’s armed wing announced it had recovered the bodies of two Israeli hostages during search operations.
Hamas officials claimed Netanyahu was inventing excuses to avoid Israel’s obligations under the ceasefire agreement.
The agreement stipulated Hamas would release all living hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
A major point of contention remains the location and return of deceased hostages’ remains.
Hamas stated the extensive damage throughout Gaza makes locating and retrieving bodies a time-consuming process.
Israel maintains that Hamas has access to most of the hostage remains despite the destruction.
Former President Donald Trump has closely monitored the ceasefire as a key foreign policy achievement.
The White House did not immediately confirm whether Israel provided advance notice of the Gaza strikes.
One Israeli strike hit a residential building near Shifa hospital, Gaza’s largest operational medical facility.
Gaza officials reported the hospital itself sustained damage during the attacks.
Heavy machinery from Egypt has recently arrived to assist with the search for hostage bodies.
Bulldozers operated in Khan Younis and Nuseirat while Hamas fighters provided security.
Many bodies are believed to be located within Hamas’ extensive tunnel network beneath Gaza.
Witnesses observed Egyptian teams and armed Hamas members digging deep near housing complexes.
Excavations reached tunnel shafts approximately twelve metres below the surface in western Khan Younis.
Gaza health authorities report 68,000 confirmed deaths from Israeli strikes with thousands more missing.
Israel began its military campaign after Hamas-led attacks killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
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