(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday ordered the military to carry out intense strikes on the Gaza Strip, after accusing Hamas of violating the US-brokered ceasefire.
Minutes later, Hamas said it would delay handing over the remains of another hostage under the terms of the truce deal over what it called Israel's truce "violations".
"Following security consultations, Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed the military to immediately carry out powerful strikes in the Gaza Strip," a statement from the premier's office said, without elaborating.
Hamas had earlier said it would hand over another hostage body, scheduled on Tuesday, amid mounting Israeli pressure after Hamas returned only the partial remains of a previously recovered captive.
"We will postpone the handover that was scheduled for today due to the occupation's violations," Hamas's armed wing said in a statement, adding that any Israeli "escalation will hinder the search, excavation, and recovery of the bodies".
Hamas handed over late on Monday what it said was the 16th of 28 hostage bodies it had agreed to return under the ceasefire deal, which came into effect on October 10.
But Israeli forensic examination determined Hamas had in fact handed over partial remains of a hostage whose body had already been brought back to Israel around two years ago, according to Netanyahu's office.
In returning only the partial remains of an already returned captive, Netanyahu's office and a campaign group representing hostage families accused Hamas of breaching the ceasefire.
Netanyahu's office decried a "clear violation of the agreement" after identification procedures revealed the latest remains belonged "to the fallen hostage Ofir Tzarfati, who had been returned from the Gaza Strip in a military operation about two years ago".
Netanyahu's latest instructions came after he held security consultations earlier in the day.
Israeli government spokeswoman, Shosh Bedrosian, later told journalists that "in terms of consequences for Hamas nothing is off the table right now, but all of this is in full coordination with the United States, with (US) President (Donald) Trump and his team."
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged the government to take action.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem rejected claims the group knows where the remaining bodies are, arguing that Israel's bombardment during the two-year conflict had left locations unrecognisable.
"The movement is determined to hand over the bodies of the Israeli captives as soon as possible once they are located," he told AFP.
Hamas has already returned all 20 living hostages as agreed in the ceasefire deal.
Hamas also accused Israel of ceasefire violations, with the territory's health ministry saying that at least 94 people had been killed in Israeli fire since the truce began.
On the ground in Gaza, 60-year-old Abdul-Hayy al-Hajj Ahmed told AFP he was afraid the war would start again because of the mounting pressure on Hamas.
"Now they accuse Hamas of stalling, and that is a pretext for renewed escalation and war," he said.
"We want to rest. I believe the war will come back."
Israel's far-right national security minister accused Hamas of stalling the release of the remaining bodies.
"It is time to break its legs once and for all," Itamar Ben Gvir wrote on X.Gaza ceasefire Gaza hostage remains

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