Israeli airstrikes hit areas near Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after Prime Minister Netanyahu accused Hamas of violating a fragile ceasefire.
Tensions flared once again in Gaza on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, as Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes near Shifa Hospital following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s order for “powerful attacks.” The escalation marks the most serious breach in a three-week ceasefire that had temporarily halted two years of war between Israel and Hamas.
Ceasefire in Crisis
Witnesses and Hamas media reported that Israeli jets targeted areas close to Shifa Hospital — Gaza’s largest remaining medical facility — amid growing fears of renewed hostilities. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have not yet commented on the strikes. According to an Israeli military source, the decision followed alleged ceasefire violations by Hamas fighters operating in areas still under Israeli control.
Netanyahu Blames Hamas for Provocation
Prime Minister Netanyahu accused Hamas of breaching the ceasefire by mishandling the repatriation of Israeli hostage remains. The remains returned on Monday were identified as those of Ofir Tzarfati, an Israeli killed in the October 7, 2023 attacks — remains that had already been partly recovered earlier by Israeli troops. Netanyahu’s office called the act a “blatant violation” of ceasefire terms, prompting his direct order for retaliatory airstrikes.
Hamas Denies and Delays
In response, Hamas denied any wrongdoing, claiming full compliance with the truce. The group’s military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, postponed a planned handover of another hostage body, citing Israel’s “ongoing violations.” Hamas officials accused Netanyahu of searching for pretexts to resume military operations rather than fulfilling Israel’s own ceasefire commitments.
Fragile Truce Tested
The U.S.-backed ceasefire agreement, in effect since October 10, 2025, brought a temporary halt to two years of devastating conflict that began after Hamas’ deadly cross-border assault on October 7, 2023. The truce required Hamas to release all surviving hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, alongside a full Israeli military withdrawal from the enclave. Despite the deal, sporadic skirmishes and accusations from both sides have threatened to unravel the fragile peace.
Search for Hostage Remains Intensifies
Meanwhile, search operations for the bodies of missing Israeli hostages have accelerated across the Gaza Strip. Egyptian heavy machinery and Hamas fighters have been excavating suspected tunnel sites in Khan Younis and Nuseirat, with some trenches reportedly reaching over ten meters deep. Hamas claims the search is ongoing due to the destruction caused by continuous bombings, while Israel maintains that the group retains access to most of the bodies.
Human Toll and Regional Fallout
Gaza health authorities report more than 68,000 deaths since the conflict began, with thousands still missing beneath the rubble. Israel’s war, launched after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in 2023, has left the coastal strip in ruins. As airstrikes resume, international observers warn that the ceasefire’s collapse could ignite another regional crisis and derail ongoing humanitarian recovery efforts.
The renewed Israeli strikes underscore how fragile the Gaza ceasefire remains, with political mistrust and humanitarian despair deepening on both sides. As Netanyahu presses forward with “powerful attacks,” and Hamas insists on its compliance, the region teeters once again on the edge of a wider conflict — one that risks undoing months of diplomatic progress and prolonging suffering for millions of civilians.
Sources: CNA (2025) , France 24 (2025)
Keywords: Gaza City, Israel Airstrikes, Hamas, Ceasefire, Netanyahu, Shifa Hospital
