Israel PM instructs military to carry out attacks in Gaza

TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday instructed his military to immediately break the ceasefire and carry out attacks on Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.

Reports emerged of heavy gunfire and explosions in Rafah, southern Gaza. The circumstances of the fighting remain unclear.

Israel accused Hamas of misidentifying the most recently returned captive’s remains, which were of an abductee whose body was recovered two years ago. Netanyahu said he’s deciding on next steps after Hamas returned the remains of a previously recovered captive, as per Al Jazeera.

The Israeli government also claimed ceasefire violations by Hamas as it had not handed over the bodies of the remaining 13 captives that are still inside Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.

Israel also accused Hamas of “staging” the return of bodies, claiming drone footage shows Hamas moving and reburying remains for the Red Cross to witness.

Meanwhile, Hamas claimed Israel is obstructing efforts to recover the bodies of deceased Israeli captives, saying it blocked heavy machinery from entering Gaza and prevented search teams – including Red Cross personnel – from accessing key areas.

While the sides traded barbs, Hamas said it would return the body of another Israeli captive at 8pm (local time) after it was discovered inside a tunnel in Gaza – which was postponed later after Netanyahu’s announcement of an imminent “powerful” strike, Al Jazeera reported.

It comes after Netanyahu alleged Hamas committed a “clear violation” of the ceasefire deal. For its part, Gaza’s Government Media Office accused Israel of committing 125 violations of the ceasefire since it came into effect on October 10, including killing 94 Palestinians.

The Israel-Hamas conflict has killed at least 68,527 people and wounded 170,395 since it began in October 2023. A total of 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks and over 250 taken captive, as per Al Jazeera. (ANI)