Israel launches new strikes on Gaza amid ceasefire tensions

GAZA: Less than three weeks after a fragile ceasefire came into effect, Israel has launched a new round of air strikes on Gaza, accusing Hamas of multiple violations of the truce. The escalation comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “powerful” strikes late Tuesday, citing what his office called a “deception plot” by Hamas involving the return of hostage remains.

According to Israel, a coffin handed over by Hamas on Monday contained the remains of Ofir Tzarfati – an Israeli soldier whose body had already been recovered in 2023 – rather than those of a newly identified hostage, BBC reported. Meanwhile, Hamas has denied wrongdoing, calling Israel’s accusation “a fabricated pretext for aggression,” and announced it would postpone further handovers of deceased hostages “due to violations” by Israel.

The Hamas-run Gaza Civil Defence agency said nine people were killed in the overnight bombardment, including four women and two children, after strikes hit residential areas in Gaza City and Khan Younis. Search and rescue teams continued to dig through rubble in the al-Sabra neighbourhood early Wednesday.

Turkish foreign ministry condemned the Israeli strikes as “open violations” of the ceasefire deal it helped broker alongside Qatar and Egypt, urging Israel to “remain committed to the agreement and protect civilians.”

The United States, which also played a key mediating role, maintained that the ceasefire remains intact. “The ceasefire is holding,” said US Vice President JD Vance, while acknowledging “little skirmishes here and there.”

Despite US reassurances, the situation on the ground appears increasingly unstable. Local witnesses in Gaza described scenes of panic as residents rushed home following Netanyahu’s order. “Everyone wanted to reach their tent or house before the planes arrived,” said Alaa Saleh, a resident of Gaza City, according to a news report by BBC.

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has raised concerns about what it called a “fake recovery” of hostage bodies, saying it was “unacceptable” and undermined trust in the ongoing mediation process.

With both sides accusing each other of violating the US-backed truce, mediators face mounting pressure to prevent a complete collapse of the ceasefire, one that had offered brief hope for an end to nearly two years of war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.