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Minutes after Netanyahu ordered the strikes, Hamas said it was postponing the handover of another hostage body scheduled for Tuesday evening

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday ordered the military to carry out immediate “powerful strikes" on the Gaza Strip, shortly after accusing the Palestinian militant group Hamas of violating the US-brokered ceasefire.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office said the decision followed security consultations, with the Israeli Prime Minister instructing the military to act immediately against targets in Gaza.

“Following security consultations, Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed the military to immediately carry out powerful strikes in the Gaza Strip," the statement noted.

Netanyahu made the announcement shortly after Israeli forces reported that Hamas had opened fire in southern Gaza. Tensions were already high after the militant group returned a set of remains that Israel said belonged to a hostage whose body had previously been recovered.

Earlier today, Hamas said it would hand over another hostage body. The militant group has faced accusations of breaching the ceasefire after returning only partial remains of a previously recovered captive to Israel.

Hamas Postpones Hostage Body Handover

The US-brokered ceasefire was intended to halt hostilities between Israel and Gaza, but tensions remain high as both sides accuse each other of violations.

Minutes after Netanyahu ordered the strikes, Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, announced it was postponing the handover of another hostage body scheduled for Tuesday evening. The group cited Israeli “violations" of the truce as the reason for the delay.

“We will postpone the handover that was scheduled for today due to the occupation’s violations," the Brigades said in a statement, adding that any Israeli “escalation will hinder the search, excavation, and recovery of the bodies".

(With inputs from AFP)

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First Published:

October 28, 2025, 21:56 IST

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