Israel Violates Ceasefire, 63 Palestinians Killed in Gaza – Including 24 Children

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered intensified military operations in Gaza, accusing Hamas of violating the truce.

• Hamas denied involvement in an alleged attack on Israeli soldiers in Rafah, calling Israel’s claims “baseless pretexts” for further aggression.
• Israel’s Defense Minister Yisrael Katz threatened Hamas with a “heavy price,” vowing to expand military operations.
• Hamas delayed the handover of Israeli prisoner remains, citing Israeli obstruction of recovery efforts.

• The U.S. urged restraint, warning Israel against drastic measures that could collapse the truce.

Escalation of Violence

Israeli forces continued bombing and demolitions in eastern Gaza despite the ceasefire. Local media reported that Israel launched airstrikes on Rafah in southern Gaza shortly after Netanyahu’s order.

Hamas’ armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced the postponement of a planned handover of an Israeli soldier’s remains, blaming Israel for blocking recovery operations. The group accused Israel of systematically preventing search teams, including the International Red Cross and Palestinian resistance groups, from accessing Gaza to retrieve bodies.

International Reactions

• Qatar and the U.S. held talks with Western officials to resolve issues related to the return of Israeli prisoners’ remains.
• Egyptian teams, the only ones allowed entry by Israel, stated that more expert support was needed to locate the bodies.
• A U.S. official told Axios that delays in returning remains did not constitute a “material breach” and urged Israel to avoid escalation.

Hamas’ Statement

Hamas reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire and denied involvement in the Rafah shooting incident. In a Telegram statement, the group said:

“The occupation’s brutal attacks on Gaza’s civilians are a clear violation of the Egypt-brokered truce. Israel is fabricating excuses to justify its aggression.”