Israel ordered fresh air strikes on Gaza on Tuesday, October 28, after accusing Hamas of breaching a US-brokered ceasefire and attacking its troops, with Gaza’s civil defence agency reporting multiple casualties.
At least seven people were killed, two in Gaza City when a house was hit and five in a strike on a civilian vehicle in the south, the Hamas-run agency said. Another strike reportedly hit near Al-Shifa Hospital.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had ordered “powerful strikes” on Gaza following what officials called a major violation of the ceasefire.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said Hamas would “pay a heavy price” for attacking Israeli soldiers, calling it “a crossing of a bright red line”.
The escalation came amid a dispute over the return of hostages’ remains under the truce.
On Monday, Hamas handed over partial remains of a captive already recovered two years ago, a “clear violation of the agreement,” Netanyahu’s office said, identifying the remains as belonging to Ofir Tzarfati, abducted from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023.
Hamas later said it would delay the next handover, claiming Israeli “escalation will hinder the search, excavation, and recovery of the bodies.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged Israel to respond “decisively,” accusing Hamas of “deceiving the United States and mediators.”
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem rejected Israel’s claims, saying bombardments had destroyed key locations but insisted the group was “determined to hand over the bodies of the Israeli captives as soon as possible.”
Source: The Advertiser.
