Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to carry out “strong strikes” in Gaza on Tuesday (28 October), escalating tensions under a fragile US-brokered ceasefire.
Israel accused Hamas of firing on its forces in southern Gaza and returning the remains of hostages in violation of the terms of the ceasefire.
Netanyahu called the return of the body a “clear violation” of the agreement, which requires Hamas to immediately release all Israeli remains of the hostages.
Gunfight in Rafah
Israeli troops came under fire in Rafah and returned fire, an Israeli military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The incident underscored how unstable the ceasefire remains more than two weeks after it came into force.
The hostage standoff continues
Thirteen bodies of hostages are believed to still be in Gaza. Hamas said on Tuesday it had found one more body and planned to hand it over later in the day.
An Associated Press videographer in Khan Younis watched a white body bag being carried out of the tunnel by masked gunmen before it was loaded into an ambulance. The identity of the remains was not immediately confirmed.
Both sides accuse each other of delays. Hamas said the widespread destruction made rebuilding difficult. Israel insists the group is deliberately slowing down the process.
Egyptian forensics teams with heavy equipment are helping with the search in southern Gaza.
The family reopens their son’s grave for the third time
The most recent remains have been identified as belonging to Ofir Tzarfati, who was abducted from the Nova music festival during Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. Israel claims he was killed in captivity and previously recovered in November 2023.
His family said in a statement that they were now “forced to open Ophir’s grave and rebury our son” for the third time.
Israel says it has taken 15 dead hostages and returned 195 Palestinian bodies in exchange since the ceasefire began. The last 20 living hostages were handed over earlier as part of the ceasefire in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Deadly raid on the West Bank
The Israeli military also said it killed three Palestinian militants near Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
The men were shot as they came out of a cave believed to be used by armed groups. Soldiers later carried out a raid to destroy the cave, the military said.
Hamas identified two of the men as members of its Qassam Brigades. The third was referred to as a “comrade” but no further details were released.
Israel says the stepped-up operations have weakened militant networks in the West Bank. Palestinian officials and rights groups say many civilians have also been killed and tens of thousands displaced.
Big toll in Gaza
According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 68,500 Palestinians have been killed since the war began two years ago. The ministry does not separate combatants from civilians in its record, although UN agencies consider its reports generally reliable.
Israel disputes the figures, but has not provided its own detailed breakdown.
