Israel has carried out fresh airstrikes across the Gaza Strip after accusing Hamas of violating the U.S.-brokered cease-fire agreement and staging the discovery of a deceased hostage.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered what he called “immediate, powerful strikes,” following what Israel described as a “clear and deliberate” breach of the fragile truce.

Netanyahu said Hamas had “crossed a line” and vowed that Israel would continue military operations until all hostages are returned and Hamas is fully disarmed. “The fight is not over yet,” he declared during a memorial ceremony in Jerusalem for soldiers who died in the Gaza war.

The escalation began early Tuesday when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that Hamas fighters had opened fire on Israeli troops near Rafah, east of the so-called yellow line that separates Israeli-controlled areas from the rest of Gaza.
The attack involved sniper fire and rocket-propelled grenades, according to military officials. In response, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Hamas would pay a “heavy price,” promising that Israel would respond “with great force.”

By nightfall, Israeli jets struck multiple targets across Gaza, ending nearly three weeks of relative calm since the cease-fire took effect. The renewed violence immediately raised fears that the truce—hailed internationally as a diplomatic breakthrough—could collapse entirely.

At least two people were killed and ten others wounded in an Israeli strike in the Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City, according to Gaza Civil Defense officials.
In northern Gaza, near Al Shifa Hospital, several explosions were reported, sending residents fleeing for cover. Hospitals already struggling with shortages of fuel and medical supplies braced for a new influx of casualties.

Hamas called the bombardment a “criminal aggression” and denied that its fighters attacked Israeli soldiers. The group said it remained committed to the cease-fire but accused Israel of fabricating incidents to justify renewed attacks.

Israeli officials also accused Hamas of staging the discovery of a hostage’s remains in an attempt to manipulate international opinion. The IDF released drone footage that it claims shows Hamas operatives burying a white shroud containing a body, then digging it up again in front of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) officials.

According to Israel, the footage proves Hamas “planted” the body to create a false impression that it was cooperating in locating deceased hostages.
The Red Cross said its team “was not aware that a deceased person had been placed there prior to arrival” and reiterated that it continues to operate in Gaza “in exceedingly difficult conditions.”

Netanyahu’s office condemned the alleged deception, saying it “undermines the integrity of the cease-fire and the trust required for humanitarian coordination.”

Following the Israeli strikes, Hamas announced that it was postponing the planned handover of a hostage’s body, which had been scheduled for transfer through the Red Cross. The group accused Israel of violating the cease-fire first, warning that continued aggression would “disrupt search and recovery operations” for remaining hostages.

The body in question was reportedly recovered from a tunnel in Khan Younis, while another was found in central Gaza’s Nuseirat camp beneath rubble from an Israeli rescue mission in 2024. That earlier mission freed three hostages but killed more than 270 Palestinians, according to local authorities, reigniting debate over the human cost of such operations.

The cease-fire, brokered by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar earlier this month, was seen as a critical step toward de-escalation after two years of war that began with Hamas’s October 2023 attacks.
However, both sides have since accused each other of repeated violations—Israel citing renewed attacks and Hamas alleging blockades on aid deliveries and continued reconnaissance flights.

In Washington, Vice President J.D. Vance maintained that the truce “is still holding,” though he acknowledged “small skirmishes here and there.” U.S. officials have urged both sides to exercise restraint and preserve the progress made through months of negotiations.

Within Israel, the political pressure on Netanyahu is mounting. Members of his right-wing coalition have demanded harsher measures against Hamas, while opposition figures warn that renewed strikes could derail efforts to recover remaining hostages and restore stability.

Humanitarian agencies fear that a collapse of the cease-fire could plunge Gaza deeper into crisis. Aid convoys that only recently resumed entry through the Rafah Crossing may once again be halted, threatening food and medical supply chains that sustain more than two million people.

The United Nations has called for “maximum restraint,” stressing that “civilians on both sides continue to pay the highest price.”

Israel’s latest strikes on Gaza mark a dangerous turning point in an already fragile cease-fire.

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