Israeli forces carried out multiple air strikes across Gaza on Tuesday, after accusing Hamas of launching an attack on Israeli soldiers and failing to meet ceasefire obligations.
Officials said the strikes were a direct response to what they described as violations of the US-mediated ceasefire agreement, including delays in returning the bodies of deceased hostages.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the incident marked a serious breach. “Hamas will pay many times over for attacking the soldiers and for violating the agreement to return the fallen hostages,” he stated.
He added that the attack occurred “east of the Yellow Line,” a demarcation set under the ceasefire that separates Israeli-controlled areas inside Gaza from the rest of the territory.
The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency reported that at least 33 Palestinians were killed in the strikes, which hit homes, schools, and residential buildings in Gaza City, Beit Lahia, al-Bureij, Nuseirat, and Khan Younis.
Witnesses said the explosions were powerful, with blasts heard across northern and southern parts of the enclave.
A Civil Defence spokesperson said four people, including three women, were killed when a home in Gaza City’s southern Sabra neighborhood was bombed.
Another strike reportedly struck a courtyard near al-Shifa hospital in western Rimal, while a vehicle in Khan Younis was hit on al-Qassam Street, killing five people, including two children.
Hamas denied involvement in attacks on Israeli troops. “Hamas affirms that it has no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah and affirms its commitment to the ceasefire agreement,” the group said. It called Israel’s air strikes a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.” The military wing of Hamas added it would delay returning a recovered hostage’s body, citing Israel’s actions as justification.
US Vice-President JD Vance, speaking in Washington, said the ceasefire remained largely intact.
“The ceasefire is holding. That doesn't mean that there aren't going to be little skirmishes here and there. We know that Hamas or somebody else within Gaza attacked an [Israeli] soldier. We expect the Israelis are going to respond, but I think the president's peace is going to hold despite that,” he said.
The tensions escalated after Israel said Hamas delivered a coffin with human remains not belonging to one of the 13 deceased Israeli hostages still in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s office said forensic testing showed the body belonged to a hostage recovered in 2023, calling it a “clear violation” of the ceasefire. Israel released drone footage claiming Hamas operatives staged a fake recovery.
Hamas dismissed the allegations as “baseless” and accused Israel of fabricating excuses for new military operations.
The International Committee of the Red Cross condemned the staged recovery, highlighting its neutral role in facilitating the exchange of hostages and emphasizing the importance of upholding agreements for families awaiting news of loved ones.
The US-brokered ceasefire, supported by Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, aimed to implement the first stage of a peace plan requiring Hamas to return 48 hostages within 72 hours.
All 20 living Israeli hostages were released on 13 October, in exchange for Palestinian detainees. Israel has returned the bodies of 195 Palestinians in exchange for 13 deceased Israeli hostages and two foreign nationals.
Eleven of the remaining hostages in Gaza are Israeli, one Tanzanian, and one Thai.
