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Netanyahu orders powerful strikes on Gaza, jeopardizing fragile ceasefire
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed immediate and forceful military strikes on Gaza, following attacks by Hamas militants in Rafah and escalating disputes over the return of hostage remains. The move threatens to collapse the tenuous ceasefire brokered by the United States.
After a security consultation, Netanyahu instructed the military to conduct "vigorous strikes" in the Gaza Strip, as announced by his office on social media. This decision came hours after Hamas fighters launched anti-tank missiles and sniper attacks on Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stationed in Rafah, resulting in heavy exchanges of fire and retaliatory airstrikes by the Israeli Air Force. The incident marks the most significant escalation since the ceasefire, which had held for 18 days.
Dual triggers for military response
Israeli officials cited two key developments as violations of the ceasefire. The first involved Hamas militants targeting Israeli forces with anti-tank missiles and sniper fire, leading to intensified military reprisals.
The second flashpoint centers on the return of hostage remains. Netanyahu’s office disclosed that remains handed over by Hamas belonged to Ofir Tzarfati, a hostage whose body was already recovered in a military operation two years ago. The Israeli government condemned this act as a clear breach of the Gaza peace agreement, accusing Hamas of returning partial remains rather than those of the 13 deceased hostages still held in Gaza.
Additionally, Israeli officials released drone footage allegedly showing Hamas operatives staging the "discovery" of hostage remains. The video purportedly depicts militants burying and then exhuming a body bag in the presence of Red Cross representatives. A senior Israeli official labeled the act as deceitful, accusing Hamas of mocking both Israel and the Trump administration.
Trump-brokered ceasefire under strain
This escalation poses the gravest threat yet to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, which was unveiled as a landmark diplomatic achievement. The ceasefire, effective since October 10 following indirect talks in Egypt, facilitated the release of 20 Israeli hostages in exchange for 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
However, tensions have risen over Hamas’s failure to expedite the return of deceased hostages’ remains. Over the weekend, Trump warned that his administration was closely monitoring the situation, giving Hamas a 48-hour ultimatum to return more bodies. "They can return them now, but for some reason, they choose not to," Trump stated.
Top Trump administration officials had urged Netanyahu to exercise restraint, warning against actions that could unravel the fragile truce. The United States has established a joint monitoring center, led by Admiral Brad Cooper of U.S. Central Command, to oversee compliance with the ceasefire. American officials have actively worked to preserve the agreement despite mounting violations.
While the ceasefire has withstood prior breaches, including Israeli airstrikes on October 19 that killed 26 Palestinians following the deaths of two Israeli soldiers, Tuesday’s escalation presents the most serious challenge to Trump’s Middle East legacy.