Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday ordered his military to conduct “forceful” airstrikes in Gaza, his office wrote on social media, putting new pressure on a weeks-old ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
The announcement comes less than a month after President Donald Trump proclaimed that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a tentative peace deal, with Israeli hostages returning home and food aid flowing — albeit unsteadily — into Gaza. The White House has since worked to keep the deal together, at times expressing frustration with Netanyahu and lawmakers in the Knesset.
Netanyahu’s office said hours earlier that remains that were recently returned by Hamas were actually just additional remains of a hostage who was already previously recovered “in a military operation about 2 years ago.”
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“This constitutes a clear violation of the agreement by the Hamas terrorist organization,” the prime minister’s office said earlier Tuesday. “Prime Minister Netanyahu will hold a security discussion with the heads of the security establishment to discuss Israel’s steps in response to the violations.”
Israel had previously struck the enclave during the ceasefire, after alleging last week that Hamas militants had shot at its soldiers. Both Israel and Hamas have accused the other of repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement.
