Israeli PM Orders Immediate, Powerful Strikes on Gaza
Netanyahu orders “immediate, powerful strikes” on Gaza amid cease-fire breakdown and hostage row
- Publish date: since 10 hours Reading time: two min read
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the Israeli military to launch “immediate, powerful strikes” on the Gaza Strip, marking a sharp escalation in a U.S.-brokered cease-fire that had been in place since October 10, 2025.
The directive comes after Israel accused the militant group Hamas of staging a false handover of a hostage’s remains and conducting attacks that breached the truce.
According to Israel’s military, Hamas returned remains that were already accounted for by Israeli forces years earlier, and used the handover process as a cover for deception. The Israeli government described this act as a “clear violation” of the cease-fire agreement and a provocation that demanded an immediate response.
Amid growing international concern, the Israeli Cabinet convened emergency discussions and moved to authorise wide-ranging strikes across Gaza.
The Palestinian side has rejected Israel’s version of events, pointing to widespread devastation in Gaza, where locating hostages and bodies is hindered by conflict-level destruction and blockage of access. Hamas says it has yet to locate the remains of several hostages who were abducted in the October 2023 attack. The delay and lack of full hand-overs have fuelled Israeli anger and calls within the government to resume full-scale war.
Beyond Gaza, the conflict has widened with operations in the occupied West Bank: Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in a raid near Jenin, which the Israeli military labelled as a counter-terrorism operation. This raid underscores the broader regional escalation and the fragility of any truce arrangement.
International mediators warned that the strike order threatens the cease-fire’s viability. The U.S.-brokered agreement had aimed to exchange hostages and return bodies in return for a pause in hostilities. With the cease-fire faltering and more air-and-ground strikes looming, questions are mounting over whether the fragile truce can hold or if Israel is preparing for renewed conflict in Gaza.