Israel launches airstrike in southern Gaza after earlier attack by militants wounded 5 soldiers

Israel said it has launched an airstrike in southern Gaza in retaliation for an attack by militants earlier in the day that wounded five Israeli soldiers.

The airstrikes late Wednesday were the latest test for a fragile ceasefire that has mostly held up since early October, despite claims of violations by both Israel and Hamas.

Earlier Wednesday, Israel received remains of what could be one of the last hostages in Gaza and said it would begin allowing Palestinians to leave the war-torn territory through a border crossing with Egypt.

Israel has accused Hamas of ceasefire violations before launching previous waves of airstrikes. Strikes killed 104 people in late October and 33 people in late November, according to local health officials.

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