In a recent escalation, Israel resumed a series of heavy airstrikes on Hamas targets across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. The airstrike marks the first major military operation since the ceasefire began on January 19. The resumed offensive follows the failure of peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
According to reports from Gaza, at least 404 Palestinians were killed and more than 100 others injured in multiple strikes across northern Gaza, including Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, Rafah, and Gaza City.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the attacks, stating that they were carried out in coordination with the Israeli Security Agency (ISA). In a post on X, the Israeli military announced, “In accordance with the political echelon, the IDF and ISA are currently conducting extensive strikes on terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip.”
Later, the justification and reason for the military attack came from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, which said, “Hamas’s repeated refusal to release our hostages, as well as its rejection of all of the proposals it has received from US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and from the mediators.”
The statement read, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have instructed the IDF to take strong action against the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip.”
Netanyahu’s office further stated that the IDF is attacking targets of the Hamas terrorist organisation throughout the Gaza Strip “in order to achieve the objectives of the war as they have been determined by the political echelon including the release of all of our hostages, the living and the deceased.”
“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength. The operational plan was presented by the IDF over the weekend and approved by the political leadership,” the statement added.
Issue of Hostages’ Release
The latest escalation comes as peace talks stuttered over disagreements on the terms of the ceasefire’s next phase. Israel, especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is frustrated over the delay in the hostages’ release. Delay in hostage release is damaging the political image of PM Netanyahu domestically. Families of hostages also have waited long, and it is a grave concern for them.
Israel had sought to extend the first phase of the three-stage agreement, while Hamas insisted on progressing to the second phase, which was supposed to begin on March 2 and involve further hostage releases.
During the initial phase of the ceasefire, Hamas released 33 Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, Hamas still holds around 59 hostages.
Last week, Hamas suggested that they would free American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander along with the remains of four hostages on the condition that Israel promptly agrees to discuss the next phase of the deal. Israel rejected the proposal, accusing Hamas of conducting “psychological warfare” against the families of those held captive.
The conflict in Gaza erupted on October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched a cross-border attack into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing 251 hostages. Since then, Israel has pursued a relentless military campaign against Hamas and vowed to eliminate it by its roots.