Oct. 28 (UPI) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to carry out strikes against Hamas in Gaza following a recent attack on IDF forces in southern Gaza and the discovery that remains returned by Hamas were not those claimed.
Netanyahu directed “immediate and powerful” strikes in the Gaza Strip in response to repeated cease-fire violations by Hamas, according to The Times of Israel. The decision came after Hamas attacked IDF troops in southern Gaza and after Israel learned that the remains returned on Monday were not of the individual Hamas had identified.
Israel is currently awaiting the return of the bodies of 13 hostages who died while in captivity in Gaza. However, the most recent remains were identified as belonging to a body that Hamas had previously returned to Israel two years ago, CNN reported.
In a prepared statement, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office condemned the act, stating, “This constitutes a clear violation of the agreement by the terrorist organization Hamas.”
Forensic testing in Israel revealed that the partial remains belong to Ofir Tzarfati, whose remains had already been recovered during an Israeli military operation in November 2023. Tzarfati was one of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas and Islamic Jihad during the October 7, 2023 raid on Israeli civilians that resulted in 1,200 deaths.
The remains were returned in a coffin, but drone footage captured by an Israeli military drone showed Hamas members burying a body wrapped in a white shroud in a shallow grave. Hamas then invited the Red Cross to witness the staged discovery of the body before handing it over to Israel, alleging it had been found inside a tunnel beneath the Gaza Strip.
This marks the second time Hamas has claimed to return a body that did not belong to whom they said it did, after previously returning a body that was identified as a Gazan.
Hamas officials have denied any wrongdoing or violations of the cease-fire. They accused Israel of attempting to “fabricate false pretexts in preparation for taking new aggressive steps” in Gaza, as reported by the BBC.
Additionally, Hamas charged Israel with interfering in the search for the remains of hostages in Gaza. They urged cease-fire mediators to prevent “political and aggressive calculations” by Israel while the search for more bodies continues.
Hamas also claimed the IDF violated the cease-fire 80 times and killed more than 80 Gazans since the cease-fire took effect two weeks ago.
Currently, thirteen bodies remain to be returned to Israel under the cease-fire agreement. Former U.S. President Donald Trump set a 48-hour deadline on Saturday for Hamas to return all remaining bodies. Failure to comply could prompt other nations involved in the peace process to take action against Hamas.
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