DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) – The Israeli army intensified its attacks in Gaza on Tuesday, as tensions escalated with Hamas just two weeks into a fragile ceasefire. Health officials reported that at least seven Palestinians were killed amid this renewed violence. The situation has posed a significant challenge to the truce, prompting international mediators to intervene to prevent its collapse.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance attempted to downplay the conflicts, indicating that he anticipated the “skirmishes” would soon subside. The escalation followed an order from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to launch “powerful strikes” after Israeli forces reportedly faced gunfire in southern Gaza. This order came after Hamas handed over body parts on Monday, which Israel claimed were the remains of a hostage retrieved earlier in the conflict.
Netanyahu characterized the return of these body parts as a “clear violation” of the ceasefire agreement, which necessitates Hamas to expedite the return of all remaining hostages. Additionally, Israeli officials expressed suspicions that Hamas staged the discovery of the remains, releasing a 14-minute edited video captured by military drones.
The strikes were communicated to the United States prior to their execution, as noted by U.S. officials who spoke under anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information. In Gaza City, airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least two Palestinians, while a vehicle strike in Khan Younis claimed the lives of five Palestinians, including two children, according to local health sources.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli troops returned fire after being shot at in Rafah. Hamas, however, denied any involvement in the incident and reiterated their commitment to the ceasefire. They condemned the Israeli strikes as blatant violations of the agreement and called for intervention from mediators to halt the aggression.
The ongoing ceasefire, which began on October 10, has experienced previous flare-ups; however, it has largely remained intact despite varying levels of violence. On October 19, two Israeli soldiers were killed by Hamas fire, leading to a series of Israeli airstrikes that resulted in over 40 Palestinian casualties. Another airstrike over the weekend targeted alleged Islamic Jihad militants, resulting in multiple injuries.
Currently, there are still 13 hostages' bodies in Gaza. Hamas announced on Tuesday that it had recovered a hostage's body, but subsequent to Israel’s announcement of strikes, the group declared it would delay the handover. An AP videographer observed a white body bag being transported from a tunnel by various individuals, including masked militants; the bag's contents remain unclear.
The slow return of hostages' remains complicates the implementation of further stages of the ceasefire, especially regarding delicate issues such as Hamas disarmament and the establishment of an international security force in Gaza. Hamas claims it struggles to locate the remains due to extensive destruction in the area, while Israel accuses them of intentionally delaying the process.
Over the weekend, Egypt sent a team of experts and heavy machinery to aid in the search for the remaining hostages' bodies. An Arab official involved in the negotiations stated that talks were ongoing between both sides to maintain the truce. Although both parties committed violations, the official assessed that no significant breaches occurred.
The body parts returned to Israel belonged to Ofir Tzarfati, kidnapped during the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led assault that initiated the conflict. His family received additional remains for burial in March 2024. The Israeli government has accused Hamas of staging the retrieval of remains, which they assert was an effort to manipulate perceptions of their actions. An AP analysis of the video released by Israel confirmed its location, though the timing and authenticity of the bag's contents could not be independently verified.
Over 68,500 Palestinians have died in the ongoing war in Gaza, according to local health authorities, who do not differentiate between combatants and civilians. The casualty records maintained by the Health Ministry are generally accepted as reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts, although Israel disputes these figures without providing its own numbers.
