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Israel resumes airstrikes in Gaza, over 400 killed
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza killed over 400 people, breaking a two-month ceasefire. Israel blamed Hamas for rejecting a truce extension, while Hamas accused Israel of derailing peace efforts. The attacks worsened Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, with evacuations and blocked aid deliveries. International mediators condemned the violence as tensions escalated.
Israeli airstrikes struck Gaza on Tuesday, killing over 400 people, according to Palestinian health officials. The attacks shattered nearly two months of relative calm since a ceasefire was established. Israel warned that this was "just the beginning" of its renewed military campaign.
Both Israel and Hamas accused each other of breaking the truce, which had largely held since January, offering some relief to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. However, tensions escalated as Hamas, which still holds 59 of the roughly 250 hostages taken during its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, claimed that Israel’s actions jeopardized ongoing mediation efforts for a lasting peace deal. Despite this, Hamas did not immediately threaten retaliation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the airstrikes were launched because Hamas rejected proposals to extend the ceasefire. Speaking from the Kirya army base in Tel Aviv, he urged civilians to move to safer areas, blaming Hamas for the casualties. "From now on, Israel will act against Hamas with increasing force," Netanyahu declared. "Negotiations will only take place under fire."
The airstrikes targeted homes and encampments across Gaza. Witnesses reported Israeli warplanes firing missiles into Gaza City, while tanks shelled the area from across the border. Palestinian officials confirmed that 408 people were killed, making it one of the deadliest days since the conflict began.
Families in northern Gaza and Khan Younis fled their homes after the Israeli military ordered evacuations from designated “combat zones.” People carried their belongings on foot, in cars, and on rickshaws. The situation drew condemnation from Egypt and Qatar, both of which had helped broker the original ceasefire. The European Union also expressed regret over the renewed violence, while the UN’s emergency relief coordinator, Tom Fletcher, stated that the ceasefire’s progress had been undone.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsened as Israel blocked aid deliveries for over two weeks. However, Dorothy Shea, acting U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, placed the blame on Hamas, arguing that the group could have extended the truce by releasing hostages but instead chose to continue fighting.
Meanwhile, families of hostages voiced frustration over the renewed conflict. Yarden Bibas, whose wife and two sons were killed while in Hamas captivity, criticized Israel’s military pressure, stating that negotiations were the only way to secure the hostages’ release.
Hospitals in Gaza struggled to handle the influx of casualties. Bodies wrapped in bloodstained plastic sheets piled up, and health officials reported that many of the dead were children, with at least 562 people wounded. Hamas confirmed that several of its top officials, including Essam Addalees and Ahmed Al-Hetta, were among those killed in the airstrikes.
As Israel intensified its operations in Gaza, its forces also conducted raids in the West Bank and launched airstrikes in southern Lebanon and Syria.
Negotiations had been underway in Doha to secure an extended ceasefire, with Hamas claiming it remained committed to the initial agreement. However, Israel accused the group of undermining the deal by refusing further discussions and blocking aid shipments.
The war, which began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel and killed approximately 1,200 people, has since claimed over 48,000 Palestinian lives, according to health authorities in Gaza.
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