Israeli officials claimed that Hamas fighters attacked Israeli soldiers inside Gaza on Tuesday, an act they said violated both the truce and the conditions governing the return of the bodies of deceased hostages. However, Hamas has denied any involvement, insisting that it remains committed to the ceasefire. In response to the alleged attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly ordered “forceful strikes” on Gaza, while Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that Hamas had crossed a “bright red line” and would “pay many times over” for its actions.
Witnesses in Gaza described scenes of chaos as explosions thundered across the densely populated territory. The strikes left several families buried beneath the rubble, and rescue workers said they were struggling to reach survivors because of ongoing bombardment and a severe shortage of equipment. One Civil Defence spokesman said conditions were dire, adding that “some of the missing are still under the rubble, and we fear the death toll will rise.” Among the dead were multiple women and children, including three women from the al-Banna family who were killed when their home was struck in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City. Another strike on al-Qassam Street in Khan Younis killed five more people, including two children.
The Israeli military later confirmed it had carried out air operations across several locations, saying its actions were a direct response to attacks on its forces “east of the Yellow Line,” a demarcation marking Israeli-controlled areas under the ceasefire arrangement. Israeli media reported that troops stationed in Rafah came under sniper and anti-tank fire on Tuesday afternoon. Soon after, witnesses and Palestinian journalists described heavy shelling and intense airstrikes in the same region.
US President Donald Trump, whose administration brokered the fragile truce earlier in the month, told reporters that the ceasefire remained intact but acknowledged that limited clashes were possible. “Nothing will jeopardise the ceasefire,” he said, though he added that Israel “should hit back” if attacked. US Vice-President Vance echoed that sentiment, stating that while “skirmishes” might occur, Washington expected the overall peace agreement to hold.
Tensions had already been rising in the days before the strikes. Israel accused Hamas of violating the deal after receiving a coffin that was said to contain the remains of one of 13 deceased Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. Forensic testing later showed the remains belonged to Ofir Tzarfati, a hostage who had been recovered by Israeli forces in late 2023. The Israeli government described the incident as a “clear violation” of the ceasefire, accusing Hamas of staging a “false recovery.” The Israeli military even released drone footage allegedly showing Hamas operatives preparing and burying remains before inviting Red Cross representatives to observe what was portrayed as the recovery of a body.
Hamas rejected the claims as fabrications, accusing Israel of using the incident to justify renewed aggression. The International Committee of the Red Cross later confirmed it had been called to the site by Hamas “in good faith” and said its personnel had no prior knowledge of any staged recovery. “It is unacceptable that a fake recovery was staged, when so much depends on this agreement being upheld,” the Red Cross said in a statement.
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States with help from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, formed the first stage of Trump’s proposed 20-point Gaza peace plan. It required Hamas to return all living and deceased hostages within 72 hours of the ceasefire taking effect on 10 October. Twenty living hostages were released on 13 October in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees. Since then, Israel has returned the bodies of 195 Palestinians in exchange for 13 Israeli hostages and two foreign nationals, one Thai and one Nepalese.
However, Israeli officials say that 11 Israeli, one Tanzanian, and one Thai hostage remain dead and unreturned in Gaza. Hamas negotiators, led by Khalil al-Hayya, recently stated that recovering the bodies has become difficult because Israeli operations have “altered the terrain” and that some of those who buried the remains have been “martyred or no longer remember where they buried them.” Israel has dismissed those explanations, insisting that Hamas knows exactly where the bodies are located.
The current escalation comes against the backdrop of a devastating war that has already claimed tens of thousands of lives. Since Israel began its military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, more than 68,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The initial Hamas assault, which triggered the war, resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths in Israel and the abduction of 251 hostages.
In Gaza, scenes of destruction are once again widespread. Entire neighbourhoods have been flattened in Khan Younis and Gaza City, with trucks and cars buried under the rubble. Civilians continue to search for survivors using their bare hands as ambulances struggle to navigate debris-filled streets. Hospitals, already overwhelmed by months of conflict, report severe shortages of medicine, fuel, and electricity.
Despite the ongoing violence, officials in Washington have maintained that the peace process remains on track. Still, many analysts warn that each new round of fighting undermines public trust in the ceasefire’s viability. For families in Gaza, though, such assurances bring little comfort. As one rescue worker put it, “Every time they say the ceasefire is holding, the bombs start falling again.”