Wed Oct 29 03:34:45 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the article and a rewritten version as a news article, suitable for publication in The Hindu:

Summary:

Despite a US-brokered ceasefire, tensions in Gaza are escalating. Israeli airstrikes, allegedly in response to Hamas attacks on Israeli troops, have resulted in significant casualties. Hamas denies responsibility for the initial attack and accuses Israel of jeopardizing the truce. A key point of contention is the return of the bodies of deceased Israeli hostages, with both sides accusing the other of bad faith. The situation threatens to unravel the ceasefire and potentially reignite the conflict.

News Article:

Gaza Ceasefire Under Strain as Airstrikes and Hostage Disputes Threaten Peace

Gaza City, October 29, 2025 – A fragile ceasefire in Gaza is under renewed strain following Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday that reportedly killed at least 38 Palestinians. The strikes followed accusations by Israel that Hamas violated the truce by attacking Israeli troops. Hamas denies the allegations, sparking fears of a return to full-scale conflict.

U.S. President Donald Trump defended Israel’s right to respond to attacks on its soldiers, stating that the ceasefire would not be jeopardized. Vice-President JD Vance echoed this sentiment, expressing confidence in the continued truce.

However, the situation on the ground paints a different picture. Gaza’s civil defence agency reported multiple airstrikes, including one near Al-Shifa Hospital. Al-Awda Hospital reported receiving bodies, including those of children, killed in the bombing of the Nuseirat refugee camp.

A major sticking point is the ongoing dispute over the remains of deceased Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Hamas announced a delay in handing over a body, citing Israeli escalation as hindering recovery efforts. Israel accuses Hamas of deliberately stalling and of staging the discovery of remains, further inflaming tensions.

Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian accused Hamas of a cynical ploy, alleging the group “dug a hole in the ground yesterday, placed the partial remains… inside of it, covered it back up with dirt, and handed it over to the Red Cross.”

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged decisive action against Hamas’s alleged violations. However, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem maintains that Israeli bombardment has made locating the remaining bodies difficult.

While Hamas has released all 20 living hostages as part of the ceasefire agreement, the dispute over the deceased remains is threatening to unravel the progress made.

The ceasefire came into effect on October 10, following the October 2023 attack by Hamas that resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people in Israel and Israel’s subsequent military operation in Gaza that killed at least 68,531 Palestinians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

The escalation has sparked fears among Gaza residents that the war may restart. “Now they accuse Hamas of stalling, and that is a pretext for renewed escalation and war,” said Abdul-Hayy al-Hajj Ahmed, 60, a Gaza resident. “We want to rest. I believe the war will come back.”

The situation remains volatile, with the future of the ceasefire hanging in the balance.

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