After months of calm, Gaza residents woke up to the sound of bombs this Tuesday as Israel launched its largest wave of airstrikes, ending a two-month ceasefire.
At least 330 people were reportedly killed around the territory after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed the army to take strong action against the Palestinian group Hamas in response to its refusal to release the remaining hostages, writes A2 CNN.
“Netanyahu’s Office Statement: Israel will now act against Hamas with increased military force. The operational plan was presented by the IDF over the weekend and approved by the political leadership.”
Following intense bombardment, the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for a number of Gaza neighborhoods. Hamas, meanwhile, accused Israel of destroying a hard-won ceasefire agreement, leaving the fate of 59 hostages in Gaza in doubt.
The airstrikes targeted various areas around the territory, with health authorities saying many children were among the victims. Israel claims to have hit dozens of Hamas targets, killing Mohammed Al-Ymasi, a senior figure in the group's political wing, along with his family. The dead included 16 members of a family in Rafah.
The attacks were on a much higher scale than usual drone strikes, and come after weeks of failed attempts to extend the ceasefire agreed on January 19. Egypt and Qatar tried to smooth over differences between the parties during negotiations in Doha after the first phase of the ceasefire ended, in which 33 Israeli and 5 Thai hostages were released in exchange for 2,000 prisoners.
While Israel, with US support, demanded the return of the remaining hostages to extend the ceasefire until the end of the month of Ramadan, Hamas insisted on a permanent ceasefire with the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops. (A2 Televizion)
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