GAZA/JERUSALEM, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said Tuesday evening that it has postponed the handover of the body of an Israeli hostage, accusing Israel of committing "violations" of the ceasefire agreement.
It said in a press statement that its fighters had discovered the body earlier in the day during search operations inside a tunnel in southern Gaza.
It warned that any Israeli escalation will "hinder ongoing search and excavation operations to retrieve bodies."
Hamas's statement came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement that he had instructed the military to carry out "immediate and powerful" strikes in Gaza, following what Israel said were violations of the ceasefire by Hamas.
In a statement, Netanyahu said the order was issued following consultations with senior defense officials.
Earlier, Israel's state-owned Army Radio reported that Israeli forces fired artillery into the southern Gaza city of Rafah after Hamas fighters targeted Israeli troops with anti-tank weapons and sniper fire. Hamas has not responded to this accusation.
The development marked the latest exchanges of blame between Israel and Hamas on Tuesday for ceasefire violations.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israel said the remains delivered by Hamas Monday night were in fact body parts belonging to a hostage whose body had already been recovered by the Israeli army around two years ago.
Also in the day, a Hamas source said Israel has rejected the entry of teams from the International Committee of the Red Cross and Palestinian factions into eastern Gaza City to search for the remains of Israeli captives.
The Israel-Hamas conflict erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages. Israel's subsequent offensive has left more than 68,000 dead and 170,000 wounded in Gaza, according to Gaza-based health authorities.
Since the new ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, 94 Palestinians have been killed and 344 injured, the authorities said Tuesday. ■
