Israel launched a series of intense airstrikes across Gaza early Tuesday, killing at least 330 people and bringing an abrupt end to a ceasefire that had been in place since January. The strikes targeted multiple locations, including Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah, marking one of the deadliest assaults in recent months.
Palestinian health officials reported that the majority of those killed were women, children, and elderly civilians, as the bombardment struck densely populated residential areas.
The Israeli military stated that the strikes were aimed at Hamas “terror targets” within the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office later clarified that the offensive was a direct response to Hamas’s refusal to release hostages, despite mediation efforts led by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar.
This follows Hamas’s repeated refusal to release our hostages, as well as its rejection of all of the proposals it has received from US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and from the mediators.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) March 18, 2025
Tensions between Israel and Hamas had been simmering for weeks, with negotiations over the remaining 59 hostages held in Gaza repeatedly breaking down. The now-collapsed ceasefire, brokered on January 19, had facilitated the release of 33 Israeli and five Thai hostages in exchange for roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, no further agreements were reached, leading to Tuesday’s escalation.
This escalation adds to the ongoing conflict that has gripped the region since October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a deadly attack on Israeli border towns, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli officials. In retaliation, Israel launched a relentless military campaign that has devastated Gaza, killing more than 48,000 Palestinians and displacing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, according to Palestinian health officials.
