According to media reports, Israel is conducting airstrikes in the Gaza Strip again. Shortly before, Prime Minister Netanyahu had ordered"intensive" attacks. Tensions had recently increased – partly due to the delayed handover of dead hostages.
According to media reports, the Israeli Air Force has launched intensive airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. Targets in Gaza City and other locations in the coastal strip were struck, Israeli media reported.
Previously, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accused the militant Islamist Hamas of violating the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and ordered new attacks. His office announced that the army had been ordered to immediately carry out"intensive" attacks in the Gaza Strip.
According to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, the attack was a response to an attack by the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas on Israeli soldiers and the delay in the agreed-upon handover of the slain hostages. Israeli TV station N12 reported that armed Palestinians attacked soldiers in Rafah, including with an RPG. A sniper was also involved in the attack.
Firefight despite ceasefire
According to a media report, a firefight had previously broken out in the southern Gaza Strip despite a ceasefire. The Israeli army broadcaster reported that armed Hamas members had fired on soldiers. According to the Jerusalem Post, an anti-tank missile was also used.
According to Palestinian eyewitnesses, artillery shelling subsequently struck several areas in the Rafah region. All reports cannot currently be independently verified.
Hamas postpones handover of dead hostage
Following Netanyahu's order, Hamas's armed wing announced that the handover of a hostage's remains, scheduled for today, would be postponed. The terrorist group cited Israel's violation of the ceasefire as the reason. A body had previously been found during searches in a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip. New Israeli attacks would hamper the search and delay the return.
Outrage over return of body
Tensions have recently increased due to the delayed return of dead hostages to Israel. On Monday evening, Hamas handed over the remains of a man who, according to Netanyahu, had already been buried.
The Israeli side initially believed that the 16th slain hostage had been handed over in accordance with the ceasefire agreement. However, after identification by the forensic experts, it turned out that these were additional remains of Ofir Tsarfati—whose body had been partially recovered by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip two years ago and brought to Israel.
Netanyahu had described the incident as a"clear violation" of the ceasefire agreement. He added that the government would meet with the heads of the security agencies"to discuss Israel's steps in response to the violations."
Ceasefire since October 10
The Hostage Families Forum called on the Israeli government to take "decisive" action against Hamas."In light of Hamas's serious violation of the agreement last night (...), the Israeli government cannot and must not ignore this and must take decisive action against these violations," the forum stated.
The ceasefire, brokered largely by the United States, came into effect on October 10. However, there have been repeated fatal incidents since the beginning. The handover of all hostages taken to the Gaza Strip—including the remains of the dead hostages—to Israel is part of the agreement.
