Mousa Abu Marzouk, the head of Hamas’s foreign relations office, said he would not have supported such an attack on Israel had he known of the devastation it would wreak on Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed "revenge" after the Israeli military said one of the four bodies recently released by Hamas did not include a hostage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a body Hamas released is that of a woman from Gaza, not Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas.
Israel and Hamas are trading accusations of violating the fragile ceasefire in Gaza with less than a week left in the initial pause.
Hamas is under pressure from Israel and the U.S. at a crucial time for the Gaza ceasefire as it claims it could have misidentified a hostage's remains.
President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff will return this week to the Middle East, where he will seek an "extension" of Phase One of the ceasefire deal.
Israel's prime minister promises Hamas will "pay the full price" for not releasing the body of an Israeli hostage alongside the remains of her two young children.