Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday ordered the military to launch “powerful strikes” on the Gaza Strip, accusing Hamas of violating the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement.

Shortly after the announcement, Hamas said it would postpone handing over the remains of another hostage, accusing Israel of breaching the truce terms.

“Following security consultations, Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed the military to immediately carry out powerful strikes in the Gaza Strip,” his office said in a statement, without providing operational details.

Hamas had earlier agreed to return another hostage’s body on Tuesday, but said it was suspending the exchange over “occupation violations.” The group warned that any Israeli escalation would obstruct its ongoing efforts to locate and recover hostage remains in the war-torn enclave.

The dispute erupted after Hamas on Monday handed over what it said was the 16th of 28 hostage bodies agreed upon under the ceasefire deal, which took effect on October 10. However, Israeli forensic officials later determined the remains belonged to Ofir Tzarfati, a hostage whose body had already been recovered in a 2023 military operation. Netanyahu’s office denounced the act as a “clear violation of the agreement.”

Israel’s government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said the country is considering “all possible responses” to Hamas’s actions in coordination with U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration. She accused Hamas of fabricating the handover by staging the burial and retrieval of Tzarfati’s partial remains.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum also urged the government to respond firmly, saying Hamas had deliberately breached the terms of the ceasefire and still knew the whereabouts of missing captives.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem denied that claim, arguing that Israel’s bombardment had destroyed many of the sites where hostages had been held. He said the group was committed to returning the remaining bodies “as soon as possible once they are located.”

Hamas maintains it has returned all 20 living hostages under the truce agreement, but accused Israel of multiple violations since the ceasefire began. Gaza’s health ministry said at least 94 people have been killed by Israeli fire during this period.

Amid growing fears of renewed hostilities, residents in Gaza expressed anxiety over the escalating tensions. “They accuse Hamas of stalling, and that is just a pretext for war to start again,” said 60-year-old Gaza resident Abdul-Hayy al-Hajj Ahmed.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for decisive action, writing on X that “it is time to break Hamas’s legs once and for all.”

With inputs from AFP