The Israeli government accuses Hamas of violating the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the army has been ordered to carry out"intensive attacks" in the coastal area.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the army to immediately launch "intensive attacks" in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu's office announced this following a security briefing with the prime minister. A firefight had previously broken out in the southern Gaza Strip, despite the ceasefire.

The Israeli army broadcaster reported that armed members of the terrorist organization Hamas had fired on Israeli soldiers. According to Palestinian eyewitnesses, this was followed by artillery shelling of several areas in the Rafah region. All reports cannot currently be independently verified.

Since the start of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on October 10 as part of US President Donald Trump's peace plan, there have been repeated fatal incidents. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 90 Palestinians have been killed so far. Just over a week ago, two Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack with an RPG.

Tensions had recently escalated after Hamas handed over the remains of a man to the Red Cross, a hostage who had already been buried. Netanyahu's office called this a"clear violation" of the agreement. Hamas initially announced that it would hand over another body at 8 p.m. local time (7 p.m. CET). This body had been found in a tunnel.

Following Netanyahu's announcement of intensified attacks, Hamas, however, announced that the planned handover would be postponed. The reason given was that Israel had violated the ceasefire, something both parties to the conflict accuse each other of. The handover of all hostages taken to the Gaza Strip—including the remains of the dead hostages—to Israel is part of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.

dpa/AP/sara/gub