Palestinians stroll among the many rubble of houses in Gaza on March 17, 2025.
Majdi Fathi/Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Photos
Israeli air strikes pounded Gaza, killing 326 folks, Palestinian well being authorities mentioned on Tuesday, and threatening a whole collapse of a two-month ceasefire because it vowed to make use of drive to free its remaining hostages within the strip.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, mentioned he had instructed the army to take “robust motion” in opposition to the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza in response to the group’s refusal to launch hostages held there and rejection of ceasefire proposals.
“Israel will, to any extent further, act in opposition to Hamas with rising army power,” the prime minister’s workplace mentioned in a press release.
After heavy strikes, the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for quite a few neighborhoods in Gaza, based on a press release.
Hamas, in the meantime, accused Israel of overturning the hard-fought ceasefire deal, leaving the destiny of 59 hostages nonetheless held in Gaza unsure.
Israel’s renewed intense stress on Hamas got here as tensions flared elsewhere within the Center East, a significant provider of oil to international markets, which has seen the Gaza conflict unfold to Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq.
U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned on Monday he would maintain Iran chargeable for any additional assaults on worldwide transport carried out by the Houthi group, as his administration expanded strikes in Yemen, the most important U.S. army operation within the area since he returned to the White Home.
Strikes in Gaza had been reported in a number of areas. Palestinian well being ministry officers mentioned lots of the lifeless had been youngsters.
The Israeli army mentioned it hit dozens of targets, and that the assaults would proceed for so long as obligatory and prolong past air strikes, elevating the prospect that Israeli floor troops may resume preventing.
The assaults had been far wider in scale than the common drone strikes Israel has mentioned it has performed not too long ago in opposition to people or small teams of suspected militants, and follows weeks of failed efforts to agree an extension to the truce agreed on January 19.
Israel has weakened Hamas and the group’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah, killing their leaders whereas launching assaults on the Houthis, all members of what has been referred to as Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” in opposition to U.S. and Israeli pursuits.
Amongst these killed was Mohammad Al-Jmasi, a senior member of Hamas’ political workplace, and members of his household, together with his grandchildren who had been in his home in Gaza Metropolis when it was hit by an air strike, Hamas sources and family mentioned. In all, at least 5 senior Hamas officers had been killed together with members of their households.
In hospitals strained by 15 months of bombardment, piles of our bodies in white plastic sheets smeared with blood could possibly be seen stacked up as casualties had been introduced in.
Some folks had been dropped at overwhelmed hospitals by non-public vehicles.
Authorities additionally reported individually that 16 members of 1 household in Rafah, in southern Gaza had been killed.
A spokesperson for the Gaza well being ministry mentioned the demise toll had risen to 326.
In Washington, a White Home spokesperson mentioned Israel had consulted the U.S. administration earlier than it carried out the strikes.
“Hamas may have launched hostages to increase the ceasefire however as an alternative selected refusal and conflict,” White Home spokesperson Brian Hughes mentioned.
In Gaza, witnesses contacted by Reuters mentioned Israeli tanks shelled areas in Rafah within the southern Gaza Strip, forcing many households who had returned after the ceasefire to go away their houses once more and head north to Khan Younis.
Standoff
Negotiating groups from Israel and Hamas had been in Doha as mediators from Egypt and Qatar sought to bridge the hole between the 2 sides after the tip of an preliminary section within the ceasefire, which noticed 33 Israeli hostages and 5 Thais returned by militant teams in Gaza in alternate for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
With the backing of america, Israel had been urgent for the return of the remaining hostages in alternate for a longer-term truce to halt preventing till after the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover vacation in April.
Nonetheless, Hamas has insisted on shifting to negotiations for a everlasting finish to the conflict and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, in accordance with the phrases of the unique ceasefire settlement.
Either side has accused the opposite of failing to respect the phrases of the January ceasefire settlement. However till now, a full return to the preventing had been averted.
The military didn’t present particulars concerning the strikes carried out within the early hours of Tuesday however Palestinian well being authorities and witnesses contacted by Reuters reported injury in quite a few areas of Gaza, the place a whole bunch of 1000’s live in makeshift shelters or broken buildings.
A lot of Gaza now lies in ruins after 15 months of preventing, which erupted on October 7, 2023 when 1000’s of Hamas-led gunmen attacked Israeli communities across the enclave, killing some 1,200 folks, based on Israeli tallies, and abducting 251 hostages into Gaza.
The Israeli marketing campaign in response has killed greater than 48,000 folks, based on Palestinian well being authorities, and destroyed a lot of the housing and infrastructure within the enclave, together with the hospital system.
