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The Israeli military launched extensive airstrikes on Hamas targets in Gaza on Tuesday after truce negotiations reached a deadlock. Medical sources reported that at least 44 people lost their lives in the attacks, marking the deadliest escalation since the ceasefire began on January 19.
Heavy Strikes Across Gaza
According to reports, Israeli forces targeted several locations, including three houses in Deir Al-Balah, a building in Gaza City, and sites in Khan Younis and Rafah. The Gaza Civil Defence Agency confirmed that the strikes, which occurred during the holy month of Ramadan, also injured approximately 70 people.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the Israeli army declared that it was “conducting extensive strikes on terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip” as part of orders from the “political echelon.”
Israeli Government Justifies Strikes
Later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government issued a statement explaining the reason behind the attacks. “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,” led to the decision to launch military action, the statement read.
In accordance with the political echelon, the IDF and ISA are currently conducting extensive strikes on terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/mYZ1WBPVPG
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 18, 2025
Israel further warned that it would now act with “increased military force” against Hamas in response to the stalled negotiations.
Hamas Condemns Israel’s Actions
Following the airstrikes, Hamas strongly criticized Israel, blaming Prime Minister Netanyahu for violating the ceasefire. “The ceasefire breach exposes the prisoners in Gaza to an unknown fate,” Hamas stated, holding Israel responsible for escalating the conflict.
Breakdown of Ceasefire Talks
The renewed hostilities come as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have reached an impasse. Israel had aimed to extend the first phase of a three-stage ceasefire agreement, while Hamas insisted that it would only resume releasing hostages under the second phase, originally set to begin on March 2.
Last week, Hamas stated that it was willing to release American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander and the bodies of four other hostages, provided that Israel immediately began discussions to implement the next phase of the truce. However, Israel accused Hamas of engaging in “psychological warfare” against the families of the hostages, further straining negotiations.
The only previous ceasefire during the ongoing war took place in November 2023, lasting a week. During this period, Hamas released hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. However, the fragile peace was short-lived, and hostilities resumed soon after.
The Origin of the Conflict
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas led a cross-border attack into southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people—most of them civilians—and taking 251 hostages.
In retaliation, Israel launched a series of airstrikes and military operations in Gaza, leading to widespread devastation. According to reports, more than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, while over 112,000 have been injured. The humanitarian crisis has worsened, with nearly the entire population of 2.3 million Gazans displaced from their homes.
