Gaza’s civil defence agency has confirmed that Israeli warplanes have launched several air strikes on Gaza City, though the full extent of the bombing campaign remains unclear.

Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the agency, said “the occupation is now bombing Gaza with at least three air strikes despite the ceasefire agreement”.

The renewed attacks came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to strike the enclave. The directive followed Israeli claims that Hamas had fired on its forces in southern Gaza and that the group had returned body parts which Israel said were the partial remains of a captive recovered earlier in the war.

Reports of casualties have not yet been confirmed, and it is unclear whether other areas beyond Gaza City have been targeted.