Israel launched a series of powerful airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, targeting numerous Hamas positions. The assault, described as the most intense since the ceasefire took effect in January, resulted in significant casualties, with hospitals reporting at least 235 deaths, including women and children.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified the strikes by citing stalled negotiations aimed at extending the ceasefire. Officials indicated that the military operation would continue indefinitely and was expected to expand. The White House confirmed it had been consulted and expressed its support for Israel’s actions. “Israel will now escalate its military campaign against Hamas,” Netanyahu’s office stated.
The offensive shattered a period of relative calm during Ramadan and raised fears of a full-scale resumption of hostilities in a 17-month-long war that has already claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives and devastated much of Gaza. Concerns also grew over the fate of around two dozen Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.
Hamas condemned the airstrikes, accusing Netanyahu of violating the ceasefire and endangering the hostages. In a statement, the militant group urged mediators to hold Israel accountable for “sabotaging the agreement.”
The renewed violence comes amid mounting domestic pressure on Netanyahu, with mass protests planned over his handling of the hostage situation and his decision to dismiss the head of Israel’s internal security agency.
Eyewitnesses in Khan Younis described witnessing massive explosions and thick plumes of smoke. In the aftermath, ambulances rushed the wounded to Nasser Hospital, where chaotic scenes unfolded—patients lay on the floor, children cried, and medical workers scrambled to provide aid. In Rafah, an airstrike on a family home resulted in 17 deaths, including at least 12 women and children, according to hospital reports.
The escalation had been widely anticipated as ceasefire negotiations stalled in early February. Instead of proceeding with scheduled talks, Israel adopted a new strategy by cutting off all shipments of food, fuel, and other aid to Gaza’s two million residents to pressure Hamas into compliance.
Health officials reported that at least 235 people were killed in the strikes overnight and into Tuesday, with the actual toll likely higher as bodies continued to be recovered from the rubble.
The U.S. placed the blame on Hamas for the renewed hostilities. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes stated that Hamas “had the opportunity to extend the ceasefire by releasing hostages but instead chose war.”
An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that Israel was targeting Hamas’ leadership, military infrastructure, and operations, with plans to extend the campaign beyond airstrikes. The official accused Hamas of rebuilding its network and preparing for further attacks.
Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Gaza would face severe consequences if the hostages were not freed, declaring, “We will not stop fighting until all our hostages are returned and our objectives are achieved.”
The latest strikes come two months after an initial ceasefire paused the war, facilitating the release of 25 Israeli hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, since the truce expired, negotiations for a second phase, which would have involved releasing the remaining 59 hostages, 35 of whom are presumed dead, have failed.
Hamas has insisted that Israel must end the war and withdraw its forces in exchange for the release of hostages, a demand Israel has firmly rejected. Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of “repeatedly refusing to release our hostages and rejecting all mediation efforts.”
Hamas official Taher Nunu denounced the Israeli attacks, calling on the international community to intervene. “The world is facing a moral test—will it permit these crimes to continue, or will it step in to end the aggression against innocent civilians in Gaza?” he stated.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched an incursion into southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. While many hostages have been freed through negotiations, Israeli forces have only managed to rescue eight, with dozens of bodies recovered.
Israel responded with a large-scale military offensive, resulting in over 48,000 Palestinian deaths, according to local health officials. The war has also displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza’s population. The Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilian and militant casualties, has reported that more than half of those killed have been women and children.
The ceasefire had allowed displaced Palestinians to return to their homes, but the renewed fighting threatens to cause further devastation. A potential Israeli ground offensive could be particularly deadly now that many civilians have moved back into urban areas.
Domestically, the resurgence of violence has deepened political divisions within Israel. Many hostages returned from Hamas captivity in poor health, intensifying public pressure on Netanyahu to extend the ceasefire. Large-scale protests are planned in response to his decision to dismiss the head of Israel’s internal security agency, widely seen as a political maneuver to deflect blame for the government’s failures in handling the October 7 attack and the ongoing war.
Since the ceasefire in mid-January, Israeli forces have continued to kill dozens of Palestinians, citing security concerns. Nonetheless, relative calm had prevailed until now. Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. had been actively mediating efforts to extend the ceasefire.
Israel proposed a new framework in which Hamas would release half of the remaining hostages in exchange for negotiations on a long-term truce. Hamas, however, has insisted on adhering to the original ceasefire agreement, which stipulated that negotiations should begin on ending hostilities and withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza.
With the renewed conflict, the prospect of reaching such an agreement appears increasingly uncertain.
