Palestinian health authorities reported on Tuesday that Israeli airstrikes across Gaza had killed over 400 people, marking a violent end to weeks of relative calm after negotiations for a lasting ceasefire collapsed.
Both Israel and Hamas blamed each other for violating the truce, which had largely held since January, offering temporary relief to Gaza’s 2 million residents, many of whom have been living among the ruins of destroyed buildings.
Hamas, which is still holding 59 of the approximately 250 hostages it seized in its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, accused the Israeli government of undermining mediation efforts for a long-term peace deal. However, the group did not issue any immediate threats of retaliation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the military action, stating that Hamas had refused all proposals for extending the ceasefire.
“Israel will now act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Netanyahu’s office declared in a statement.
Witnesses described intense shelling from Israeli tanks along the border and airstrikes that hit homes and temporary shelters throughout Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry reported that 404 people had died, making it one of the deadliest days since the war began.
“It was a night of horror. It felt like the war had started all over again,” said Rabiha Jamal, a 65-year-old Gaza City resident.
“We were preparing a meal before fasting when the entire building shook from the explosions. We thought the worst had passed, but now war is back,” she told Reuters via a messaging app.
Medical workers said Gaza’s already overwhelmed hospitals struggled to handle the influx of injured civilians, while aid blockades worsened the humanitarian crisis. Ambulances rushed hundreds of severely wounded survivors to overcrowded facilities.
In response to evacuation orders from the Israeli military warning of “dangerous combat zones,” families in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza and eastern Khan Younis in the south fled their homes, carrying whatever belongings they could manage.
International Reaction and Humanitarian Concerns
Mediators Egypt and Qatar condemned Israel’s renewed assault, while the United Nations expressed alarm over the escalating situation.
“Once again, the people of Gaza are living in fear,” said UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher, addressing a Security Council briefing.
“Any progress made during the ceasefire has now been destroyed,” he added, urging Israel to resume the flow of humanitarian aid and essential supplies, which had been halted for over two weeks.
Domestic and Regional Repercussions
The airstrikes bolstered Netanyahu’s political standing at home. Former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who had left the government over disagreements regarding the ceasefire, announced he would rejoin the coalition following the military escalation.
Israeli forces also expanded their military operations beyond Gaza, launching strikes in southern Lebanon and Syria while continuing raids in the occupied West Bank.
The Ceasefire Deadlock
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas had been ongoing in Doha, where mediators attempted to salvage the truce after the initial phase of the ceasefire saw 33 Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals released in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Backed by the United States, Israel had pushed for a deal to secure the release of remaining hostages in return for a ceasefire lasting until after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover in April.
However, Hamas insisted on negotiating a permanent end to the war and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, in line with the original ceasefire agreement.
Despite the escalation, Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua told Reuters that the group remained engaged with mediators and was committed to implementing the terms of the initial deal.
Egyptian officials also confirmed that they were making urgent efforts to restore the ceasefire.
Since Hamas launched its October 7 attack, which killed around 1,200 people according to Israeli reports, Israel’s military response has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza. The ongoing conflict has left much of the enclave in ruins, with widespread displacement and destruction of essential infrastructure.
