In the early hours of Tuesday, Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, claiming to target dozens of Hamas positions in what it described as the most extensive attack since a ceasefire took effect in January. Palestinian officials reported at least 69 fatalities.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the strikes were ordered due to stalled ceasefire negotiations. Officials described the operation as open-ended and anticipated further expansion.
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“Israel will now take increasingly forceful military action against Hamas,” Netanyahu’s office announced.
The surprise offensive disrupted a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, raising fears of a full-scale resumption of the 17-month war, which has already claimed over 48,000 Palestinian lives and caused widespread destruction in Gaza. The escalation also cast uncertainty over the fate of approximately two dozen Israeli hostages still believed to be alive in Hamas captivity.
Hamas denounced the strikes as an “unprovoked escalation,” stating that they jeopardised the lives of the hostages.
There was no immediate response from the U.S. However, over the weekend, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been leading mediation efforts alongside Egypt and Qatar, warned that Hamas must release the living hostages immediately “or face severe consequences.”
An Israeli official, speaking anonymously about the ongoing military operation, stated that Israel was targeting Hamas' military leadership and infrastructure and planned to extend the assault beyond aerial bombardments. The official accused Hamas of using the ceasefire period to regroup and plan new attacks. In recent weeks, Hamas militants and security personnel had visibly returned to Gaza’s streets.
Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, warned that “the gates of hell will open in Gaza” unless the hostages were freed. “We will not halt our operations until all hostages are returned and our war objectives are fully achieved,” he asserted.
Explosions echoed throughout Gaza, and hospitals reported receiving at least 69 bodies from the morning airstrikes. The territory’s civil defence agency indicated that rescue efforts were severely hindered due to multiple simultaneous strikes.
Ceasefire negotiations had stalled
The airstrikes came two months after a ceasefire agreement had temporarily paused the war. During the first phase, Hamas released about three dozen hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
However, since the ceasefire ended two weeks ago, both sides have struggled to reach an agreement on a second phase that would involve the release of the remaining 60 hostages and a potential end to the war.
Hamas has insisted that Israel must completely withdraw its forces and end the war in exchange for releasing the remaining hostages. Israel, on the other hand, has maintained that it will not stop fighting until Hamas' military and governing capabilities are dismantled and all hostages are freed.
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Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to resume military operations. Earlier this month, he also halted the entry of food and humanitarian aid into Gaza to exert pressure on Hamas.
“This escalation follows Hamas’ continued refusal to release our hostages and its rejection of all proposals from U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and other mediators,” Netanyahu’s office stated on Tuesday.
Hamas official Taher Nunu condemned the Israeli offensive, stating: “The international community now faces a moral test—either it allows the occupation army to resume its crimes, or it enforces an end to the aggression against Gaza’s innocent civilians.”
Gaza was already facing a humanitarian crisis
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a cross-border attack that killed approximately 1,200 people and took 250 hostages.
Israel responded with a military campaign that has since killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza’s population. Gaza’s Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but reports that over half of the dead were women and children.
The ceasefire had brought some temporary relief, allowing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to what was left of their homes.
However, Gaza remains devastated, with no immediate plans for reconstruction. A resumption of full-scale hostilities threatens to undo any progress made in alleviating the humanitarian crisis.
An Israeli ground offensive could be especially lethal, as large numbers of civilians have now returned to their homes. Before the ceasefire, many had sought refuge in tent camps that provided relative protection from airstrikes.
The return to fighting could also deepen internal tensions in Israel regarding the fate of the remaining hostages. Many of those who were released by Hamas described harsh conditions in captivity, leading to growing domestic pressure on the Israeli government to extend the ceasefire to secure the release of all hostages.
Hostage families and supporters have repeatedly urged the government to prioritise negotiations. Tens of thousands of Israelis have recently taken part in mass demonstrations calling for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.
Further protests are planned for Tuesday and Wednesday following Netanyahu’s controversial decision to dismiss the head of Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet. Critics view the move as an attempt to shift blame for the government’s failures in the October 7 attack and its handling of the war.
Since the ceasefire took effect in mid-January, Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians whom the military claims entered restricted areas or posed security threats.
Despite ongoing tensions, the ceasefire had largely held without a major resurgence of violence. The first phase of the agreement had facilitated the exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have continued efforts to broker a second phase of negotiations.
Israel has proposed securing the release of half the remaining hostages in exchange for a commitment to further ceasefire talks. However, Hamas insists that both sides adhere to the original agreement, which calls for negotiations on a broader truce, the release of all hostages, and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Hamas is believed to be holding 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others.