At least 220 people were killed in Gaza on Tuesday when the Israeli military launched “extensive strikes” on Hamas targets, marking the deadliest attack in the territory since the ceasefire began on January 19. The airstrikes, carried out during the holy month of Ramadan, primarily claimed the lives of “mostly children, women, and the elderly,” according to Gaza’s civil defense agency, which also reported around 150 injuries. Explosions were heard across various locations, including northern Gaza, Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah in the central and southern parts of the Gaza Strip.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on X that the strikes targeted Hamas “terrorist” positions throughout the Gaza Strip, in line with orders from Israel’s political leadership. The IDF also issued a directive to close schools near Gaza’s borders. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office explained that the airstrikes were a response to Hamas’s refusal to release hostages, despite multiple proposals from U.S. Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and other mediators.
“The IDF is taking action with increased military strength to target Hamas across Gaza, with the ultimate goal of securing the release of all hostages, both living and deceased,” the IDF posted on X.
Hamas, in turn, condemned the resumption of hostilities, accusing Netanyahu of being “fully responsible for violating and overturning the ceasefire agreement” and accusing him of using the war for political gain. The group claimed that Netanyahu had “sacrificed” hostages by restarting the conflict, and that the resumption of fighting would leave Gaza’s prisoners facing an uncertain fate.
The breakdown of the truce followed a stalemate in negotiations over the terms of the ceasefire. Israel had called for an extension of the first phase of the agreement, which Hamas rejected. Israel wanted this phase to last until mid-April, demanding that any transition to the second phase involve the “total demilitarization” of Gaza and the dismantling of Hamas, which has governed the territory since 2007. Hamas, on the other hand, insisted that the release of hostages would only proceed once the second phase began, as planned for March 2.
Last week, Hamas indicated that it would release U.S.-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander and four hostages’ bodies if Israel agreed to begin the second phase of the ceasefire talks immediately. Israel dismissed the offer as “psychological warfare” against the hostages’ families.
During the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas freed 33 Israeli hostages, including five bodies, and five Thai nationals in exchange for around 1,800 Palestinian prisoners. Currently, Hamas is still holding approximately 59 hostages.
The previous ceasefire took place in November 2023, when Hamas released hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a cross-border attack into southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing 251 hostages. In retaliation, Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 48,000 Palestinians and injured over 112,000, according to reports.
