Israel strikes Gaza in first major test of ceasefire

Israel's military said it struck multiple targets on Sunday in Gaza, using aircraft and artillery, after it said Hamas militants shot at Israeli soldiers who were inside the area still under Israeli control, the first major test of the ceasefire reached over a week ago.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations with Israel's security heads and directed the military to take “strong action” against any ceasefire violations, but did not threaten to return to war.

Hamas said that it was not connected to any clashes in Rafah in Southern Gaza.

The strikes came as Israel identified the remains of two hostages released by Hamas overnight, and the Palestinian group said talks to launch the second phase of ceasefire negotiations have begun.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the bodies belonged to Ronen Engel, a father of three from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, a Thai agricultural worker killed at Kibbutz Beeri.

Both were believed to have been killed during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and their bodies were taken to Gaza. Engel's wife, Karina, and two of his three children were kidnapped and released in a ceasefire in November 2023.

Meanwhile, Israel threatened to keep the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt closed "until further notice." The statement by Netanyahu's office said reopening Rafah would depend on how Hamas fulfils its ceasefire role of returning the remains of all 28 deceased hostages.

In the past week, Hamas has handed over the remains of 13 bodies, 12 of which have been identified as hostages. Israel said one of the bodies released did not belong to a hostage.

Israel has released 150 bodies of Palestinians back to Gaza, including 15 on Sunday, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government.

Israel has neither identified the bodies nor said how they died. The ministry has posted photos of doxens of bodies on its website to help families and relatives attempting to locate their loved ones, but the bodies were decomposed, blackened and some were missing limbs and teeth. Only 25 bodies have been identified, the Health Ministry said.