- Israel has launched fresh airstrikes on Gaza
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Netanyahu accuses Hamas of violating fragile US-brokered ceasefire.
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At least nine Palestinians killed in latest Israeli airstrikes.
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Tensions rise over failed hostage remains exchange.
Israel has launched fresh airstrikes on Gaza following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s directive for “immediate and powerful attacks” on Hamas targets, accusing the militant group of breaching the fragile ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump earlier this month.
Health officials in Gaza confirmed at least nine fatalities, including four people killed in Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood and five others in Khan Younis, after a vehicle was struck during the assault.
A senior Israeli military official described the incident as retaliation for what he called “a blatant violation” of the truce by Hamas.
“This is yet another blatant violation of the ceasefire,” the official said, claiming Hamas militants had attacked Israeli troops inside Gaza.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, in a brief statement, said Netanyahu had “ordered immediate and powerful attacks on Hamas targets,” though it gave no specific details about the alleged breach.
The US-mediated ceasefire, which began on 10 October 2025, was meant to end two years of conflict following Hamas’s 7 October 2023 assault on southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, Israel’s subsequent military campaign has since claimed more than 68,500 Palestinian lives.
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Tensions Over Hostage Remains
The latest escalation followed outrage in Israel after Hamas allegedly returned an empty coffin, which was supposed to contain the body of a deceased hostage.
Israeli officials accused Hamas of “mockery and deception,” while Hamas responded by postponing another planned handover of a hostage’s remains in protest.
Families of Israeli hostages have continued to urge both sides to respect the ceasefire to enable further exchanges and humanitarian access.
Mounting Accusations
Israel’s Defence Minister said Hamas fighters attacked Israeli troops in Gaza earlier in the week — a claim the group denies. Hamas countered that Israel was “obstructing efforts” to recover hostages’ bodies still believed to be buried under the rubble.
