Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the country's military to launch "powerful" airstrikes on Gaza on Tuesday, imperiling the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire.

"Following security consultations, Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed the military echelon to carry out powerful strikes in the Gaza Strip immediately," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

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It was not immediately clear if the strikes had been launched. The U.S. State Department did not immediately return a request for comment.

Earlier, Netanyahu said that the remains of a hostage returned by Hamas overnight were body parts of another hostage who was recovered in Gaza by Israeli troops almost two years ago.

Under the truce, Hamas is

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