Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes on Gaza City on Tuesday, witnesses said, shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to launch what he described as “strong attacks” across the Gaza Strip.
In a brief statement, Netanyahu said he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to respond forcefully, accusing the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas of violating the ongoing ceasefire agreement. “I have ordered the IDF to carry out strong strikes in Gaza,” Netanyahu declared, without specifying the targets or scale of the operation.
An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the escalation came after Hamas fighters allegedly attacked Israeli forces in an area under Israeli control, calling it “another blatant violation of the ceasefire.”
Dispute Over Ceasefire and Hostage Remains
Tensions flared earlier in the day after Netanyahu accused Hamas of breaching the truce by returning remains that did not belong to any of the deceased hostages listed in the prisoner exchange process.
Hamas had initially announced that it would hand over the body of an Israeli hostage found inside a tunnel in Gaza on Tuesday. However, the group’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, later said it was postponing the transfer, citing what it called “Israeli violations” of the ceasefire terms.
Israeli media also reported brief exchanges of gunfire between Israeli troops and Hamas fighters in Rafah, southern Gaza, though the army did not immediately comment on those reports.
A Hamas spokesperson said the group remained committed to the terms of the ceasefire and accused Netanyahu of “searching for excuses to evade Israel’s obligations.”
Fragile Truce Under Strain
The ceasefire, brokered with U.S. support, has largely halted fighting in Gaza in recent weeks but remains fragile. Both sides have repeatedly accused each other of minor violations.
Under the terms of the deal, Hamas released all remaining living hostages in exchange for the release of about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including those arrested during the war. In return, Israeli forces agreed to suspend their offensive and withdraw from several areas inside Gaza.
Hamas also committed to handing over the bodies of hostages who had died in captivity but said the process would take time due to the complexity of locating and recovering the remains. Israel, however, maintains that Hamas has easy access to most of the bodies and is deliberately delaying the transfers.
Renewed Uncertainty
The latest airstrikes raise fears that the fragile ceasefire could unravel, plunging the region back into large-scale hostilities. Residents in Gaza reported explosions and plumes of smoke rising over several neighborhoods of Gaza City, though there were no immediate reports of casualties.
International mediators have urged restraint, warning that renewed fighting could derail months of diplomatic efforts aimed at consolidating the ceasefire and advancing talks on a longer-term political arrangement between Israel and Hamas.
