Hamas has today warned Israel’s latest attacks – which has seen at least 44 people die – have breached the ceasefire and put the fate of the hostages in jeopardy
Israel says it has resumed fighting in Palestine – and insists “the gates of hell will open in Gaza” if hostages aren’t released.
At least 44 people have died in the new wave of airstrikes across the region, Gaza’s ministry of health said. Israel said it was striking Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January. But Hamas says the fresh wave of attacks breaches the ceasefire and puts the fate of the hostages in jeopardy. Over the six weeks since the peace deal was reached, Hamas has released roughly three dozen hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel, though, believes there has been a lack of progress in ongoing talks to extend the ceasefire. Defence Minister Israel Katz, 69, said “the gates of hell will open in Gaza” if hostages aren’t released. He added: “We will not stop fighting until all of our hostages are home and we have achieved all of the war goals.”
It is not yet clear if the operation was a one-time pressure tactic or if the 17-month-old war was being resumed altogether. The peace deal in January had hit a late snag, which Israel claimed was caused by Hamas trying to make changes to already agreed upon arrangements along Gaza’s border with Egypt. Hamas called the claims “nonsense.”
The office of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, said: “This comes after Hamas repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all offers it received from the US presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators. Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength.”
Explosions could be heard at various locations across Gaza on Monday, and ambulances were frequently arriving at Al Aqsa Hospital. Taher Nunu, a Hamas official, blasted the scenes. He said: “The international community faces a moral test: either it allows the return of the crimes committed by the occupation army or it enforces a commitment to ending the aggression and war against innocent people in Gaza.”
The sides have not been able to agree on a way forward with a second phase aimed at releasing the nearly 60 remaining hostages and ending the war altogether since the first part of the ceasefire ended at the start of March.
Mr Netanyahu, 75, has repeatedly threatened to resume the war, and early this month cut off the entry of all food and aid deliveries into the besieged territory to put pressure on Hamas.
The war erupted with Hamas’ October 7, 2023, cross-border attack, which killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. Israel responded with a military offensive that killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza’s population. The territory’s Health Ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and militants, but says over half of the dead have been women and children.