(Image source from: AP)
On Tuesday, over 220 individuals lost their lives in Gaza as the Israeli military launched extensive airstrikes targeting Hamas, marking the most significant assault in the area since the ceasefire agreement commenced on January 19. According to Gaza's civil defense agency, the bombings, which occurred during Ramadan, predominantly affected "children, women, and the elderly," injuring approximately 150 others. The sound of explosions echoed in various locations, including northern Gaza, Gaza City, and the central and southern regions encompassing Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on X earlier today their intent to "conduct extensive strikes on terror targets linked to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip" as part of directives from the "political echelon."
In response to the escalating situation, Israel instructed the closure of all schools in areas near Gaza. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later clarified that the military actions were prompted by "Hamas's continuous refusal to release our hostages, along with its dismissal of all proposals from US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and the mediators." The IDF stated on X that they were targeting Hamas's assets throughout Gaza to fulfill war objectives set by the political leadership, which includes ensuring the release of all hostages, both living and deceased. Israel warned that it would now deploy "increased military strength" against Hamas.
In contrast, Hamas assigned "full responsibility" to Mr. Netanyahu for breaching the agreement, alleging that he chose to "sacrifice" hostages by reigniting the conflict. A Hamas spokesperson declared that Netanyahu's choice to resume hostilities amounts to dooming the occupied prisoners, portraying the escalation as a political maneuver, a "lifeboat," to deflect attention from domestic challenges. The interruption of the ceasefire "places the fate of prisoners in Gaza at risk," the group stated in a separate comment. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the White House confirmed that Israel had consulted President Donald Trump's administration prior to executing the airstrikes. The negotiations for a truce had faltered, with Israel advocating for an extension of the initial stage of the three-phase ceasefire agreement, while Hamas insisted on resuming hostage releases only under the second stage, set to commence on March 2. Israel aimed to prolong the first phase until mid-April, arguing that any transition to the second phase ought to entail "total demilitarization" of Gaza and the dismantling of Hamas, which has been in power in the region since 2007.
Last week, Hamas announced that it would free American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander along with four deceased hostages if Israel agreed to commence talks right away regarding the second phase of their agreement. In contrast, Israel accused Hamas of conducting "psychological warfare" against the families of the hostages. During the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, Hamas released 33 Israeli hostages, including five deceased individuals, along with five Thais in exchange for approximately 1,800 Palestinian prisoners. Currently, around 59 hostages remain in Hamas's custody.
The only previous ceasefire during this conflict occurred in November 2023, lasting one week, during which Hamas released hostages in return for Palestinian detainees. The Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas executed a cross-border attack into southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of nearly 1,200 individuals, mostly civilians, along with the capture of 251 hostages. Since that time, Israeli retaliatory airstrikes have claimed the lives of over 48,000 Palestinians and left more than 112,000 injured, according to various reports.
