Israeli planes carried out strikes in Gaza on Tuesday after Israel accused the militant group Hamas of violating a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory. This marks the latest test of a fragile deal brokered earlier this month by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Local health authorities reported that the strikes resulted in at least 26 deaths, including five people in a house hit in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, four in a building in Gaza City's Sabra neighborhood, and five in a car in Khan Younis. According to witnesses, Israeli plane attacks continued into early Wednesday across the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strikes, the latest violence in a three-week-old ceasefire, which followed a statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office saying he had ordered immediate "powerful attacks."

The statement did not specify a reason for the attacks, but an Israeli military official said Hamas violated the ceasefire by launching an attack against Israeli forces in an area of the enclave under Israeli control.

"This is yet another blatant violation of the ceasefire," the official said.

The U.S.-backed ceasefire took effect on October 10, ending two years of conflict triggered by deadly Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Both sides have accused each other of ceasefire violations.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, part of a parade of Trump administration officials who visited Israel last week, said that despite the recent flare-up, "the ceasefire is holding."

"That doesn't mean that there aren't going to be little skirmishes here and there," he told reporters on Capitol Hill. "We know that Hamas or somebody else within Gaza attacked an (Israeli) soldier. We expect the Israelis are going to respond, but I think the president's peace is going to hold despite that."

Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli media reported an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment on the reports.

Hamas denied responsibility for an attack on Israeli forces in Rafah. The group also stated in a statement that it remains committed to the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

Tuesday's strikes on Gaza City came after what Israel called a "targeted strike" on Saturday on a person in central Gaza whom it said was planning to attack Israeli troops.