Israel attacks kill 9 people in Gaza after Netanyahu instructs "forceful strikes"

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Israel Defence Forces carried out air strikes, killing nine people in Gaza, following an alleged violation of the US-brokered ceasefire deal by Hamas, CNN reported.

This development comes after PM Netanyahu instructed the Israeli military to "immediately carry out forceful strikes in the Gaza Strip," his office said in a short statement.

As reported by CNN, Israel had informed the US about their decision to carry out strikes in Gaza. A military official said that Hamas militants attacked Israeli forces east of the so-called yellow line, which demarcates the Israeli-occupied part of Gaza from the rest of the enclave. The troops stationed in the Rafah area reportedly came under rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) and sniper fire, CNN reported.

Following the assault, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that Hamas would pay a "heavy price" for targeting Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) personnel. "Israel will respond with great force," Katz said.

Shortly after his remarks, Gaza Civil Defence reported that an Israeli airstrike hit the Al-Sabra neighbourhood in Gaza City, killing at least three women and a man. In the southern city of Khan Younis, five people, including two children and a woman, were killed in another strike.

Meanwhile, the director of Al Shifa Hospital, Dr Mohammed Abu Salmiya, said that at least three explosions were heard near the medical facility in northern Gaza, CNN reported.

Israel has also accused Hamas of misidentifying the remains of the most recently returned captive, which were of an abductee whose body was recovered two years ago. Netanyahu said he's deciding on next steps after Hamas returned the remains of a previously recovered captive, as per Al Jazeera.

Hamas condemned what it described as a "criminal bombardment" by Israel, alleging that it violated the ongoing ceasefire agreement. The group denied responsibility for the attack on Israeli troops but reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the truce, CNN reported.

The Israel-Hamas conflict has killed at least 68,527 people and wounded 170,395 since it began in October 2023. A total of 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks and over 250 taken captive, as per Al Jazeera.