Netanyahu Orders Strikes on Gaza After Accusing Hamas of Breaking Ceasefire

Israeli warplanes carried out extensive airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on October 28, 2025, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of violating a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that began on October 10. The truce, mediated by Washington, Egypt, and Qatar, was intended to pause hostilities and facilitate hostage exchanges and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Netanyahu’s office said the strikes were ordered after Israeli troops came under fire near Rafah and following what it called a deliberate delay by Hamas in returning the body of an Israeli hostage. Officials described these actions as serious violations of the ceasefire terms.

The overnight bombardment targeted several areas in Gaza City and Khan Younis. According to Gaza’s health authorities, at least 33 Palestinians were killed, including women and children, and dozens more were injured. Witnesses reported that residential buildings near Al-Shifa Hospital sustained heavy damage.

Hamas denied the allegations, insisting it had not attacked Israeli forces and accusing Israel of exploiting the situation to resume large-scale operations. The group called for international mediators to intervene and warned that further escalation could shatter the fragile truce.

U.S. officials said the ceasefire technically remains in effect and urged both sides to avoid actions that could trigger a wider war. Washington reiterated Israel’s right to self-defense but cautioned that renewed violence would undermine ongoing humanitarian and diplomatic efforts.

The latest escalation underscores the fragility of the current ceasefire. Each exchange or accusation risks unraveling weeks of fragile calm, leaving civilians in Gaza and southern Israel once again caught between politics and war.