TEL AVIV,- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered to deliver powerful strikes on the Gaza Strip, the premier’s office said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Following consultations on security issues, the Prime Minister instructed the military command to immediately launch powerful strikes on the Gaza Strip,” the statement reads.
According to Israel’s Channel 12 television broadcast, the prime minister made this decision during a meeting with law enforcement bodies after armed radicals from the Hamas movement violated the ceasefire by delivering strikes at the Israeli military in the Rafah area, in the southern Gaza Strip.
Moreover, Netanyahu’s office reported earlier in the day that Israeli forensic experts had determined that the coffin delivered to Gaza on the evening of October 27 contained part of the remains of a hostage, whose body had already been returned nearly two years ago.
Following the discovery, Israel accused the Palestinian movement Hamas of violating agreements on the transfer of the bodies and the Gaza ceasefire. “This is a clear violation of the agreement by the Hamas terrorist organization,” the office said.
Israel and Hamas resumed Egypt-, Qatar-, United States-, and Turkey-mediated indirect talks on settling the situation in the Gaza Strip on October 6. On October 9, the parties to the conflict signed an agreement on the implementation of phase one of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan.
The ceasefire came into effect on October 10. On October 13, Hamas and other Palestinian groups released all 20 living hostages and handed over the bodies of four deceased hostages under the Gaza ceasefire deal.
The Israeli side expressed resentment that Hamas returned only four out of 28 bodies of deceased hostages. Later, Hamas transferred several more bodies to Israel. According to the Israeli side, radicals continue holding the remains of 13 hostages.
