Today's News: Israeli Launches Strikes in Gaza in Reaction to Alleged Ceasefire Violations
Israel cited an attack on its forces and the alleged staging of a deceased hostage’s remains by Hamas. Hamas denied these accusations.
Photo: Heidi Levine/For The Washington Post
Overview
Date: October 28, 2025
Summary: Israel launched “forceful” strikes in the Gaza Strip after accusing Hamas of violating the US-brokered ceasefire. Israel cited an attack on its forces and the alleged staging of a deceased hostage’s remains by Hamas. Hamas denied these accusations, reaffirming its commitment to the truce and accusing Israel of fabricating pretexts for aggression, while also postponing a hostage body handover. The strikes resulted in multiple casualties in Gaza and cast doubt on the fragile ceasefire, though US Vice President JD Vance insisted the peace agreement was holding despite ongoing “skirmishes.”
Sources
The New York Times - Netanyahu Orders Strikes in Gaza, as Israel Says Hamas Violated Cease-Fire
NBC News - Israel carries out airstrikes in Gaza, casting doubt on fragile ceasefire
The Washington Post - Israel launches strikes on Gaza, claiming Hamas violated truce
The Washington Post - Israelis bristle as Trump makes clear who calls the shots in Gaza truce
The Wall Street Journal - A Trip to Gaza’s New ‘Yellow Line’ Shows Israel Is Digging In
Key Points
Israeli Military Action: All articles confirm that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered and the Israeli military carried out “forceful” or “powerful” airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on October 28, 2025.
Ceasefire Violation Accusations: Israel accused Hamas of violating the US-brokered ceasefire by attacking Israeli forces (specifically in the Rafah area) and by failing to return the bodies of deceased hostages in good faith, including an alleged staging of a body discovery.
Hamas Denials and Counter-Accusations: Hamas consistently denied attacking Israeli forces and denied staging any discoveries, asserting its commitment to the ceasefire agreement. It accused Israel of violating the truce and fabricating pretexts for renewed aggression.
Hostage Remains Controversy: The return of deceased hostage bodies is a central point of contention. Israel accused Hamas of delaying the process or attempting to deceive, while Hamas claimed difficulties due to the devastated conditions in Gaza and Israeli restrictions on equipment and access.
Casualties in Gaza: The Israeli strikes resulted in multiple deaths and injuries among Palestinians in Gaza, as reported by local health officials and civil defense.
US Stance on Ceasefire: US Vice President JD Vance repeatedly stated that the ceasefire was “holding” despite “little skirmishes,” emphasizing the Trump administration’s commitment to the peace deal. The US was notified of Israel’s decision to conduct strikes.
Unique Highlights
The New York Times provided a detailed account of a drone video released by the Israeli military, which it said showed Hamas staging the discovery of Ofir Tzarfati’s partial remains in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City. The article included a statement from the Red Cross confirming their team was “not aware that a deceased person had been placed there prior to their arrival” and calling the staging “unacceptable.”
CNN reported that the remains returned by Hamas did “not belong to any of the 13 hostages still unaccounted for.” It also highlighted Hamas’s announcement to postpone a hostage body handover due to Israeli “violations” and detailed the discovery of a second body in Nuseirat from a building where Israel had conducted a rescue operation in June 2024, raising questions about previous hostage casualties. The article also cited Gaza’s Ministry of Health figures of at least 68,527 Palestinians killed and 170,395 injured over two years.
NBC News cited an Israeli official stating that Prime Minister Netanyahu was in contact with Jared Kushner and that Israel “did not consider Tuesday’s exchanges a violation of the ceasefire.” It also detailed Hamas official Suhail al-Hindi’s claim that Hamas faced difficulties recovering bodies and requested Israeli approval for heavy equipment and access to “red zones,” which Israel allegedly refused. The article mentioned that famine was declared in parts of Gaza in August and that Hamas has reasserted control in some areas, deploying armed police and clashing with rival clans.
The Washington Post quoted an anonymous Israeli military official detailing two incidents involving Hamas militants: firing an RPG and a sniper attack on troops in southern Gaza. It also reported that Israel had continuously carried out low-intensity strikes since October 11, killing over 90 people, with a heavier bombardment on October 19 killing 45. Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian American intermediary, conveyed that Hamas officials suspected the sniper attack was by a “rogue individual” and that Hamas was “unequivocally committed” to finding all dead Israeli hostages.
The Washington Post offered a unique perspective on Israeli discontent, detailing how Israelis “bristle” at the Trump administration’s “overly intrusive approach,” including the deployment of 200 US troops to a coordination center in southern Israel to oversee the ceasefire. It quoted Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav saying, “The Americans aren’t just involved. They’re leading it. Israel is merely participating.” The article also highlighted Israeli anxiety that Trump might “give Hamas a pass” and allow them a role in a future Gaza government, and mentioned a poll showing 77% of Israelis credited Trump for the deal compared to 29% for Netanyahu.
The Wall Street Journal provided a detailed description of the “yellow line” dividing Gaza, including fortifications, new outposts, sand berms, and barbed wire, explaining that Israel is preparing for this to be a long-term defensive position. It reported that Israel is only 10-20% complete in formally marking the line with yellow-painted concrete blocks. The article stated that hundreds of Palestinians are now living on the Israeli side of the yellow line, fearing retribution from Hamas, and that the US and Israel are working on a plan to rebuild Gaza only in Israeli-controlled areas if Hamas refuses to disarm. It also estimated that Hamas still has around 15,000 armed operatives in Gaza with an intact chain of command.
Fox News specifically referenced a previous incident on October 19 where two IDF soldiers, Major Yaniv Kula and Staff Sergeant Itay Yavetz, were killed by militants emerging from a tunnel in Rafah, leading to earlier IDF air and ground strikes that dismantled six kilometers of underground infrastructure.
Contrasting Details
Casualty Figures for October 28 Strikes:
The New York Times: Reported “several people had been killed.”
CNN: Stated “at least 20 people were killed.”
NBC News: Cited Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal reporting “At least nine people have been killed.”
The Washington Post: Also cited medics reporting “at least nine people” killed.
Identity and Previous Recovery of Ofir Tzarfati’s Remains:
The New York Times: A spokeswoman for the prime minister’s office, Shosh Bedrosian, confirmed the body bag in the drone video contained the partial remains of Ofir Tzarfati, which were handed back to Israel on Monday, and “some of his remains had been recovered by Israel on two previous occasions earlier in the war.”
The Washington Post: Stated Netanyahu accused Hamas of returning the remains of Ofir Tzarfati, but “Israel had already recovered his partial remains in November 2023.”
NBC News: Netanyahu said the remains returned by Hamas overnight were “body parts of another hostage who was recovered in Gaza by Israeli troops almost two years ago,” consistent with Tzarfati’s prior recovery.
CNN: Netanyahu’s office said Hamas was in “clear violation” after returning remains that “did not belong to any of the 13 hostages still unaccounted for,” which could imply the returned remains were not Tzarfati’s, or were not new remains, contradicting the direct identification by Israel’s spokeswoman in The New York Times and The Washington Post’s detail that it was Tzarfati’s previously recovered remains.
Hamas’s Responsibility for Rafah Attack:
Israeli officials (cited by CNN, NBC News, The Washington Post, and Fox News) explicitly attributed the attack on Israeli forces in Rafah to Hamas.
Hamas (quoted by The New York Times, CNN, NBC News, and The Washington Post) denied involvement in any attack on Israeli forces.
Vice President JD Vance (quoted by NBC News and The Washington Post) stated, “We know that Hamas or somebody else within Gaza attacked an IDF soldier,” indicating uncertainty, with The Washington Post noting he “did not appear to definitively blame Hamas.”
Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian American intermediary (quoted by The Washington Post), said Hamas officials suspected the sniper who shot at Israeli forces was a “rogue individual.”
Israel’s View on Ceasefire Violation Post-Strikes:
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office and Defense Minister Israel Katz (quoted by The New York Times, CNN, The Washington Post, and Fox News) clearly stated that Hamas had violated the ceasefire, justifying the strikes.
An Israeli official (cited by NBC News) told NBC News that Israel “did not consider Tuesday’s exchanges a violation of the ceasefire,” which presents a conflicting interpretation from within Israeli official circles regarding the status of the truce.
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