Israeli airstrikes are reported to have killed over 400 people in Gaza, heightening fears of a ceasefire collapse

Israeli airstrikes have struck Gaza, resulting in over 400 fatalities, according to Palestinian health officials on Tuesday. This escalation threatens to completely undermine a two-month ceasefire, as Israel has pledged to intensify its military efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

The Palestinian militant organization, which retains 59 of the approximately 250 hostages taken during its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and endangering the mediation efforts aimed at achieving a lasting peace agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he instructed the military to take “strong action” against Hamas due to the group’s refusal to release the remaining hostages and their dismissal of ceasefire proposals.

Egypt, one of the mediators involved in the ceasefire agreement established in January, has called for restraint and urged all parties to strive for a sustainable resolution.

The airstrikes targeted residential buildings and tent encampments throughout the Gaza Strip, while Israeli tanks shelled areas along the eastern and southern borders of the enclave.

“It was a night of hell. It felt like the first days of the war,” recounted Rabiha Jamal, 65, a mother of five from Gaza City. “We were about to have something to eat before starting a new day of fasting when the building shook and explosions erupted. We thought it was over, but war has returned,” she shared with Reuters via a messaging app.

In hospitals already overwhelmed by 15 months of conflict, numerous bodies wrapped in blood-stained white plastic sheets were seen piled up as casualties continued to arrive. Gaza’s health ministry, controlled by Hamas, reported that 404 individuals had died, many of whom were children, with 562 others injured. The Israeli military confirmed that it targeted numerous sites and indicated that operations would persist as long as necessary, potentially including a resumption of ground troop engagements.

U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk expressed his deep dismay over the Israeli bombardment, stating, “This will add tragedy onto tragedy.” He emphasized that Israel’s continued military actions would only exacerbate the suffering of a Palestinian population already enduring dire conditions.

For more than two weeks, Israel has suspended aid deliveries to Gaza, worsening the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Reports from Israeli media indicate that the country is establishing shelters in various locations within the commercial center of Tel Aviv in anticipation of potential retaliation from Hamas or Yemen.

Israel’s intensified actions against Hamas coincide with rising tensions across the Middle East, where the conflict in Gaza has extended to Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq.

DEADLIEST ASSAULT SINCE CEASEFIRE AGREED

The recent attacks have been significantly broader than the usual drone strikes that Israel has claimed to conduct against suspected militants, occurring after weeks of unsuccessful attempts to extend the truce established on January 19.

Witnesses in Gaza, speaking to Reuters, reported that Israeli tanks shelled areas in Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip, forcing many families who had returned home after the ceasefire to flee once more to Khan Younis.

Among the casualties was Mohammad Al-Jmasi, a senior figure in Hamas’ political office, along with several family members, including his grandchildren, who were present in his Gaza City residence during the airstrike, according to Hamas sources and relatives. In total, at least five senior Hamas officials and their family members lost their lives.

In Washington, a spokesperson for the White House indicated that Israel had consulted with the U.S. administration prior to executing the strikes. “Hamas had the opportunity to release hostages to prolong the ceasefire but opted for refusal and conflict,” stated White House spokesperson Brian Hughes. The Kremlin expressed its concern on Tuesday regarding reports of significant civilian casualties.

STANDOFF

Negotiation teams from Israel and Hamas were in Doha, where mediators from Egypt and Qatar aimed to reconcile differences following the conclusion of an initial ceasefire phase. This phase resulted in the release of 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. With U.S. support, Israel has been advocating for the return of the remaining hostages in exchange for a more extended truce to pause hostilities until after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover in April.

However, Hamas has maintained its position on transitioning to discussions for a permanent resolution to the conflict and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, as stipulated in the original ceasefire agreement.

On Tuesday, Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua informed Reuters that communication with mediators was ongoing, and the group was eager to finalize the implementation of the original ceasefire agreement concerning Gaza. The aftermath of the war, which began on October 7, 2023, has left much of Gaza in ruins. This conflict was ignited when Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities, according to Israeli sources, and the abduction of 251 hostages into Gaza. The Israeli military response has reportedly resulted in over 48,000 deaths in Gaza, as per Palestinian health authorities, and has devastated much of the region’s housing and infrastructure, including its healthcare system.