Israel has launched a new wave of airstrikes on Gaza after negotiations with Hamas over a ceasefire and hostage release fell apart.
In a pre-dawn statement on Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed they were “carrying out widespread attacks on Hamas terror targets across the Gaza Strip.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office justified the strikes as retaliation for Hamas’s “repeated refusal” to release hostages and its rejection of multiple peace proposals, including those mediated by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and regional negotiators.
“From this moment on, Israel will intensify its military operations against Hamas,” Netanyahu’s office declared.
Reports from Hamas-run Gaza suggest more than 200 people have been killed since the fighting resumed, according to Al Jazeera. Palestinian news agency Wafa described airstrikes hitting both central and southern areas of the densely populated enclave.
Hamas has accused Israel of “unilaterally” ending the ceasefire brokered by the U.S. and Arab nations. Under that deal, which began on January 19, Hamas released 25 hostages and returned the bodies of eight captives in exchange for Israel freeing roughly 1,500 Palestinian prisoners. However, since the initial truce expired on March 1, both sides have been locked in a bitter standoff, unable to agree on how to proceed.
The Israeli government has slammed Hamas for “manipulation and psychological warfare,” claiming the group deliberately sabotaged a plan put forward last week by the American mediator. Meanwhile, Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua told Reuters that the group has been working with negotiators to pressure Israel into honoring the next phases of the ceasefire agreement.
With diplomacy at a standstill, the conflict has erupted once again, and Israel has made it clear that its military response will only escalate.
