The US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas faced a severe threat on Tuesday following an alleged attack on Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers in Gaza, which the Israeli military blamed on Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered "powerful strikes" on Gaza. Gaza's civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas, reported that at least 30 people were killed in these strikes, including one hitting the backyard of Al-Shifa hospital.
Hamas's fighters denied any connection to a shooting incident in Rafah, where the troops were allegedly attacked.
US Vice President JD Vance stated the ceasefire was holding despite the "skirmishes," acknowledging the Israeli response was expected after an IDF soldier was attacked, but expressing confidence in the peace holding.
The truce was also jeopardized by a dispute over the return of deceased hostages' bodies. Israel accused Hamas of reneging on the deal after partial remains returned on Monday were identified as belonging to an already-recovered captive. Hamas delayed Tuesday's scheduled handover, citing Israeli "escalation" and the difficulty of locating remains in the war-ravaged territory.
The original conflict was triggered by the October 7, 2023, attack where Hamas took 251 hostages and killed 1,221 people in Israel. Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza had killed at least 68,531 people as of the report date, with the toll continuing to rise as bodies are found under rubble.
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