Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an immediate strike on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said on the 28th local time. It comes 19 days after Israel and the Palestinian militant faction Hamas reached a dramatic cease-fire agreement on the 9th through the mediation of U.S. President Donald Trump.
In a statement that afternoon, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said, "Prime Minister Netanyahu, in line with security consultations, instructed the military to launch a strong attack in the Gaza Strip immediately."
The resumption of the military operation came right after the identity was confirmed of one body that Hamas handed over to Israel the day before. Israel had initially hoped the body would be one of the 13 hostages still being held, but an investigation found it was another body part of a hostage who had already been repatriated. Israeli authorities have suspected that Hamas has been deliberately delaying the return of hostage remains.
Hamas proposed handing over additional remains just before Netanyahu announced the strike. Even so, Netanyahu's order to resume the military operation is seen as stemming from the judgment that Hamas's violations of the cease-fire agreement had gone too far.