KEY POINTS
- Netanyahu ordered “immediate and powerful” strikes on Gaza.
- Israel claimed Hamas handed over the wrong remains of a hostage.
- Hamas denied the accusations, saying Israel was obstructing recovery efforts and violating the ceasefire.
- Israeli forces launched artillery and airstrikes in Rafah and Khan Younis.
- Gaza authorities said Israel had committed 125 ceasefire violations, killing 94 Palestinians.
GAZA CITY, Palestine: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday ordered the military to launch “immediate and powerful” strikes in the Gaza Strip after accusing Hamas of violating a US-brokered ceasefire, his office said.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s civil defence agency said that Israel launched at least three air strikes on the Palestinian territory Tuesday, shortly after Netanyahu ordered the attacks.
“The occupation is now bombing Gaza with at least three air strikes despite the ceasefire agreement”, Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for the agency told AFP. Witnesses told AFP that they heard the blasts.
Netanyahu’s directive followed what Israel said were attacks on its forces in southern Gaza and disputes over the handover of bodies of Israeli hostages.
Hamas strongly denied the accusations and said any Israeli escalation would hinder recovery efforts, further raising fears that the fragile truce could collapse.
“Following security consultations, Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed the military echelon to carry out immediate and powerful strikes in the Gaza Strip,” a statement from his office said.
Following security consultations, Prime Minister Netanyahu has directed the military to immediately carry out forceful strikes in the Gaza Strip.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 28, 2025
The order came after Israel said forensic tests showed remains handed over by Hamas on Monday belonged to an Israeli captive — Ofir Tzarfati — whose body Israeli forces say they recovered in late 2023, and not to any of the 13 deceased hostages still believed to be within Gaza.
Netanyahu’s office said the revelation amounted to a “clear violation” of the ceasefire deal.
Hamas says it is committed to the ceasefire terms, but lacks the equipment needed to locate and excavate captives’ bodies, potentially buried under buildings collapsed by air strikes.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said it would postpone the handover of another captive’s remains scheduled for Tuesday evening, accusing Israel of “violations” and of obstructing search and recovery operations.
In a Telegram statement, the Palestinian group warned that any Israeli escalation would “hinder the search, excavation, and recovery of the bodies”.
Hamas said it was Israel who prevented it from carrying out its search for bodies, and accused it of fabricating “false pretexts in preparation for taking new aggressive steps against our people”.
Bombings in Rafah as ceasefire falters
In a sign of the truce’s fragility, an unnamed Israeli military official told The Associated Press that Israeli troops responded to fire in Rafah on Tuesday. Israeli state media and other outlets reported artillery strikes and explosions in Rafah and parts of Khan Younis.
Israeli Army Radio said Israeli forces had fired artillery into Rafah after attack on troops. Al Jazeera reported heavy gunfire and explosions in southern Gaza.
Hamas dismissed Israel’s accusations as attempts to create a pretext for new attacks.
The Palestinian group said Israel had blocked heavy machinery and Red Cross personnel from entering key areas, obstructing efforts to locate and hand over remains of hostages buried under metres of rubble after two years of Israeli bombardment.
Mediators — including the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye — have been involved in arranging recoveries and hostage exchanges under the ceasefire that took effect on October 10.
Israel has said 20 living hostages have been released under the deal and expects the return of further bodies and captives.
Human toll and wider context
Gaza’s Government Media Office said on Tuesday that Israel had committed 125 ceasefire violations since October 10, killing 94 Palestinians and wounding 344.
Gaza-based health authorities have given similar tallies; the figures could not be independently verified.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli military bombardment has killed more than 68,600 Palestinians and caused widespread destruction in Gaza, according to Gaza health officials.
Israeli media reported that government options in response to alleged violations include halting aid deliveries, expanding control in Gaza or carrying out powerful strikes on Gaza.
Analysts quoted by broadcasters said the United States — which helped broker the truce — was pressing to preserve the deal, though Israeli leaders were dominant to show force.
An Israeli political analyst told Al Jazeera that Prime Minister Netanyahu might feel compelled to take symbolic action while ultimately remaining bound by diplomatic constraints, including pressure from the US to keep the ceasefire in place.
Humanitarian and education efforts continue
Meanwhile, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said it was expanding education services in Gaza, opening temporary learning spaces teaching about 25,000 children and offering online classes aimed at some 300,000 pupils.
UN agencies have repeatedly warned that renewed fighting would deepen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
“With the ceasefire in place, UNRWA is stepping up its “back to learning” programme in #Gaza, both in person and online.
More than 25,000 children have now joined our “Temporary Learning Spaces". We will continue increasing the number of such locations.
In parallel, we are… pic.twitter.com/XzIQLyFyce
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) October 28, 2025
