Israeli aircraft bombed Gaza City, according to reports, shortly after the Israeli prime minister's office announced that Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered the army to immediately launch heavy attacks on the Palestinian enclave, accusing Hamas of violating the terms of the ceasefire.

The Gaza Civil Defense Agency announced that the Israeli army carried out at least three airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 11 people and wounding four. The Israeli strike targeted a car in Khan Yunis and killed five civilians, said Mahmoud Bashal, spokesman for the Hamas-controlled Civil Defense Agency.

The strike on a car in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip killed at least five people, including two children and a woman.

The ceasefire is maintained.

US Vice President J.D. Vance said from Washington that the ceasefire in Gaza is holding despite Israeli bombing and the exchange of accusations between Israel and Hamas for violating the ceasefire.

The ceasefire is holding. That doesn't mean there won't be some small skirmishes here and there, J.D. Vance told reporters. We know that Hamas or someone in Gaza attacked an (Israeli) soldier. We expect the Israelis to respond, but I believe the president's peace will hold despite that.

Hamas's reaction

The occupation force is bombarding Gaza with at least three airstrikes in violation of the ceasefire, said Mahmoud Bassal, spokesman for the Hamas-controlled Civil Protection agency.

Hamas, for its part, announced that it had no connection to the attack against Israeli forces in Rafah and that it remains committed to the ceasefire agreement.

Hamas will pay dearly for this.

Shortly afterwards, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that Hamas attacked Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip and will pay dearly for it. The Hamas terrorist organization will pay dearly for the attack on IDF soldiers in Gaza and the violation of the agreement to hand over the bodies of the hostages, Katz's statement said.