At least 320 Palestinians have been reportedly killed by renewed Israeli airstrikes on Gaza overnight, casting major doubt on the ongoing ceasefire deal.
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation had been carried out “to achieve the war objectives set by the political leadership, including the release of all the hostages”.
Hamas described the attack as a “blatant violation of all international and humanitarian conventions.”
In a statement Netanyahu said the attack had been agreed jointly with Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz “after Hamas repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all the proposals it received from the US president’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators.”
“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” the prime minister’s office said.
Israeli soldiers operate at a post on the Israeli side of the border between Israel and Gaza, with the wreckage of the territory in the background, 18 March. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters
The Hamas-run government media office in the territory called on the international community to “break their silence and take immediate action” to prevent the Israeli attacks, and said rescue operations were being hampered by a lack of fuel.
Israel controls the entry of goods and services into the Gaza Strip, and has been blockading humanitarian aid, having recently also cut off electricity supplies.
Palestinian health ministry officials claimed many of the dead were children, while the Israeli military claimed it hit dozens of what it termed “terror targets”.
Access for international journalists to the Gaza Strip has been limited by Israel, and it has not been possible to independently verify the casualty figures being issued during the conflict.
A woman carrying a child reacts as she identifies a body in the Al-Ahli hospital, 18 March. Photograph: Jehad Alshrafi/AP
In Israel the Hostages and Missing Families Forum criticised the latest move, saying the Israeli government had “chosen to abandon the hostages” adding that “military pressure endangers both the hostages and the soldiers.”
59 hostages are believed to still remain in captivity in Gaza, having been seized by Hamas and other groups during the deadly 7 October 2023 attack inside southern Israel, when 251 people are believed to have been abducted. Not all of the remaining hostages are thought by Israeli authorities to be alive.
The conflict in the Middle East has destroyed countless lives and the horrific scenes since 7 October 2023 from Gaza and Israel have haunted millions around the world.
