Netanyahu Orders Israel to Bomb Gaza, Shattering Ceasefire and Killing Dozens of Palestinians

Israeli Airstrikes on Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Israel to bomb Gaza, breaking the U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The airstrikes killed Palestinians in Gaza City and Khan Younis. Israeli airstrikes targeted residential areas near al-Shifa hospital and the Sabra neighborhood.

At least nine people were killed—four in Sabra and five in Khan Younis—according to West Asian outlets and Western media on the ground. France-based reporting cited Gaza civil defense claims of at least 11 dead as the strikes expanded. Netanyahu justified the bombardment by alleging that a militant group fired on Israeli troops in Rafah.

The militant group denied responsibility for the attack. U.S. outlets reported that Israel informed Washington before the strikes, even as officials publicly insisted the ceasefire was still holding.

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Ceasefire Violations and Hostage Remains

Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire not only by alleged fire on Israeli troops but also by returning partial or previously recovered remains of Israeli captives. Israel used this claim to justify the bombardment. Israeli military channels released drone footage alleging Hamas staged a recovery for the Red Cross.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) rejected knowledge of any staging and said it was not informed. Hamas denied any deception and postponed another body handover, blaming Israeli strikes and closures for obstructing recovery.

Several outlets named Ofir Tzarfati as the captive whose remains Israel said were already recovered in 2023. Some reports indicated forensic confirmation that a coffin returned by Hamas did not belong to any of the 13 still-missing hostages.

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Ongoing Violence in Gaza Ceasefire

Beyond the night of bombing, data show Israel’s killing of Palestinians continued under the ceasefire. Gaza authorities and multiple outlets report Israel has killed at least 94 Palestinians since the truce took effect. Independent and state-linked sources also report more than 68,500 Palestinians killed in the Gaza conflict over two years, a toll acknowledged by the UN as coming from Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Palestinian agencies and West Asian outlets documented strikes on homes, tents, and vehicles, including a drone attacking a family house in the al-Sabra area. While some Western outlets say the ceasefire is ‘largely holding,’ the death counts and site-specific reporting show Israel kept killing civilians during the supposed truce.

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Israeli Military Actions During Ceasefire

Israel also escalated killings beyond Gaza during the ceasefire by shooting Palestinians in the West Bank. Israeli forces killed three men near Jenin in an operation Israeli and U.S. outlets described as targeting militants linked to Hamas.

Hamas condemned the raid. This West Bank raid happened alongside Israel’s renewed bombing in Gaza and further undermined claims that the ceasefire reduced Israeli attacks on Palestinians.

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Israeli Actions and Gaza Crisis

Multiple outlets report Netanyahu is preparing to deepen Israeli control inside Gaza and restrict aid while bombing continues. Policy-focused and European outlets say Israel already controls about 53% of Gaza and is coordinating with U.S. officials to expand that footprint. West Asian coverage adds that only about half the daily required aid is reaching Palestinians.

Alternative outlets say the UN warned against resuming strikes. Far-right Israeli ministers are pressuring Netanyahu to restart full-scale war.

Some Western outlets echo U.S. claims that the ceasefire largely holds. Palestinian and rights sources explicitly describe Israel’s campaign as genocide and collective punishment as Israeli forces keep killing civilians during the ceasefire.

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