Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said he has ordered the military to launch “powerful strikes” in Gaza, a move that threatens to unravel a fragile US-brokered ceasefire.

The announcement came amid renewed tension between Israel and Hamas. Israeli officials said their troops came under fire in southern Gaza after Hamas returned what Israel identified as the remains of a hostage killed earlier in the war — a move Netanyahu condemned as a “clear violation” of the ceasefire agreement, which requires the militant group to return all Israeli bodies immediately.

Israeli military official also accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire by carrying out attacks against forces east of the agreed deployment line, as per a report by news agency Reuters.

Thirteen Israeli hostages ar

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