Israel’s military has intensified its air campaign across Gaza following a series of overnight strikes that reportedly killed more than 400 Palestinians, including women and children, marking what appears to be the deadliest 24-hour period since the early months of the conflict that began in 2023.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) resumed operations after the collapse of a ceasefire agreement that had been in effect since late January, issuing evacuation orders for several areas in Gaza including Beit Hanoun, Khirbet Khuza’a, Abasan al-Kabira and Abasan al-Jadida.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing the nation in a televised speech, described the renewed military campaign as “just the beginning,” stating that Israel would “continue to fight to achieve all of our goals in this war,” specifically citing the release of all Israeli hostages and the destruction of Hamas.
In his address following airstrikes that reportedly killed hundreds of Palestinians, Netanyahu outlined his government’s determination to press forward with military operations despite international calls for restraint.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar confirmed that the military operation was not a “one-day attack” and would continue in the coming days, while Defence Minister Israel Katz said that “the gates of hell will open in Gaza” if Hamas did not release all remaining hostages.
Hamas condemned the strikes as attacks on “defenceless civilians” and called on international mediators to hold the Netanyahu administration “fully responsible” for violating the ceasefire.
The group also accused the United States of bearing “full responsibility for the massacres” after the White House confirmed Israel had consulted with the Trump administration before conducting the airstrikes.
The resumption of hostilities follows the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement two weeks ago. According to diplomatic sources, Israel has refused to implement the scheduled second phase, which envisaged an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a definitive end to the war.
UN Under-Secretary General Tom Fletcher expressed grave concern over the situation, noting that “overnight our worst fears materialised” with airstrikes resuming across Gaza. He added that since March 2, Israeli authorities had blocked the entry of essential supplies including food, medicine, fuel and cooking gas for Gaza’s 2.1 million residents.
Egypt and Qatar, key mediators in the ceasefire negotiations, have strongly condemned the Israeli assault, joining numerous other countries in expressing concern over the escalation of violence.
Within Israel, protesters accused Netanyahu of ordering the airstrikes to provide “cover” for efforts to dismantle democratic institutions and maintain his grip on power.
Meanwhile, former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who had previously left the government over disagreements about the Gaza ceasefire, announced his return to the coalition hours after the strikes began.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza, already precarious after months of conflict, now faces further deterioration as aid organisations struggle to respond to the latest wave of casualties amid continuing restrictions on humanitarian access.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressed horror at the strikes, stating, “This nightmare must end immediately.” He emphasised that “the last 18 months of violence have made abundantly clear that there is no military path out of this crisis.”
The airstrikes have prompted strong international condemnation, with Turkey’s foreign ministry denouncing what it called a “massacre” representing “a new phase” in Israel’s “genocide policy.”
Several European nations also issued statements, with Belgium’s deputy prime minister saying the strikes’ “heavy toll” undermines ceasefire objectives and reduces the likelihood of hostage returns, while Malta’s prime minister condemned what he called “barbarous attacks.”
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led gunmen attacked Israeli communities, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s military campaign has since killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of Gaza’s infrastructure, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Experts, governments, United Nations agencies, and non-governmental organisations have accused Israel of carrying out genocide against the Palestinian people.
(with information from The Guardian)
