Israel's extensive strike in Gaza kills over 200, Hamas responds

Israel launched extensive airstrikes across Gaza on Tuesday, killing at least 220 people and injuring around 150, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency. The attacks, the largest since the January 19 ceasefire, targeted multiple locations, including northern Gaza, Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that the strikes were aimed at “terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization” and were conducted under the directive of the country’s political leadership.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that the military action was a response to Hamas's “repeated refusal” to release Israeli hostages and its rejection of proposals from U.S. Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and other mediators. "Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength," his office said. The IDF also confirmed that operations would continue until Israel’s objectives, including the release of hostages, were met.

Hamas condemned the airstrikes, accusing Netanyahu of deliberately breaching the truce and jeopardizing the fate of hostages. "Netanyahu's decision to resume war is a decision to sacrifice the occupation's prisoners and impose a death sentence on them," Hamas said in a statement. The group insisted that the ceasefire breakdown exposed hostages in Gaza to “an unknown fate” and held Israel responsible for overturning the agreement.

The ceasefire talks, which stalled last week, saw Hamas demand Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for further hostage releases, while Israel insisted on extending the first phase of the agreement before advancing to the next. Israel had sought the "total demilitarization" of Gaza and Hamas’s removal before moving forward with negotiations. Hamas had offered to release one American-Israeli soldier and the bodies of four hostages if Israel agreed to proceed with the second phase of the agreement immediately.

Since the war began on October 7, 2023, with Hamas’s cross-border attack that killed about 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 251 hostages being taken, Israel’s military response has killed more than 48,500 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The conflict has displaced most of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents and caused severe shortages of food, fuel, and medical supplies. More than 70% of buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed.

Israel also launched strikes in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, targeting Hezbollah militants and military sites. Airstrikes in Syria hit a residential area in Daraa, killing three people and injuring 19, while in Lebanon, two Hezbollah operatives were reportedly killed. Meanwhile, international mediators, including Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, are attempting to restart negotiations, but no progress has been made.