Israeli forces on Tuesday launched the most important and most threatening assaults on Gaza since a cease-fire with Hamas that started roughly two months in the past. The barrage killed a whole bunch of individuals, in response to well being authorities within the enclave.
As of noon Tuesday, it remained unclear whether or not the strikes had been a short try to drive Hamas to compromise in cease-fire talks or the start of a brand new section within the battle.
What occurred with the most recent strikes?
Simply earlier than 2:30 a.m. native time, the Israeli navy introduced that it was conducting “in depth strikes” on Hamas targets. Not less than 400 Palestinians, together with kids, had been killed within the strikes, in response to the Gaza well being ministry. The ministry’s figures don’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.
Hamas publicly introduced the deaths of not less than 5 senior officers among the many group’s Gaza management. Two had been officers within the group’s political bureau, and three others — together with Bahjat Abu Sultan, the director of Hamas’s feared inside safety company — held senior safety roles.
When Israel launched the strikes, some individuals had been getting ready a particular meal earlier than the every day Ramadan quick. Others had been jolted out of their sleep. After two months of relative calm, the widespread explosions left Gazans with an unmistakable message: The struggle had returned, not less than for now.
Why did Israel resume airstrikes on Gaza?
The Israeli authorities defined the assault as a response to intransigence by Hamas in talks over extending the cease-fire.
The workplace of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel additionally mentioned that Hamas had demonstrated a “repeated refusal” to launch the remainder of the hostages that it seized throughout its raid on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Round 1,200 individuals had been killed and about 250 taken hostage in that assault, which started the struggle. “Any more, Israel will act towards Hamas with growing navy energy,” it mentioned in a press release.
That message was echoed by Israel’s overseas minister, Gideon Saar, who mentioned that the cease-fire talks had reached a useless finish and that Israel had “no different however to provide the order to reopen fireplace.”
How did cease-fire negotiations break down?
The talks stalled due to disagreement over elementary points. Hamas, which has tried to make use of the hostages as leverage all through the battle, has refused to launch important numbers of extra captives till Israel promised to completely finish the struggle.
Israel and Hamas had been negotiating the following steps within the truce. The following section is meant to finish the struggle and free extra hostages. However Mr. Netanyahu’s authorities has refused to agree to finish the struggle until Hamas offers up management of Gaza or dismantles its navy wing.
Israel’s hand within the talks has been strengthened in current weeks by backing from the Trump administration, which has delivered extra weapons to the nation. The White Home press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, mentioned Israel had consulted the White Home earlier than launching the strikes.
To extend strain on Hamas, Israel halted the supply of support and humanitarian provides into Gaza earlier this month. That call exacerbated hardships confronted by civilians within the shattered enclave, the place Palestinian well being authorities say greater than 46,000 individuals have been killed, a majority of them girls, kids or the aged.
The cease-fire deal, which got here into impact on Jan. 19, was designed to unfold in a number of levels towards a complete finish to the battle. Beneath the preliminary section, which lasted six weeks, Hamas launched 30 Israeli and overseas hostages and handed over eight our bodies. In alternate, Israel launched 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
How did Hamas reply to the Israeli airstrikes?
Hamas accused Israel of deciding to “overturn the cease-fire settlement, exposing the prisoners in Gaza to an unknown destiny,” referring to the remaining hostages.
Hamas has not but responded militarily to the assaults.
What number of hostages stay in Gaza?
Of the 250 individuals seized, greater than 130 have been launched, together with greater than 100 throughout an preliminary cease-fire within the early months of the struggle and 30 extra in the course of the truce that started in January. The hostages had been exchanged for a whole bunch of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
The Israeli navy has additionally retrieved the our bodies of not less than 40 others. Lower than half of the 59 who stay in Gaza are alive, in response to the Israeli authorities.
The principle advocacy group for the households of hostages held in Gaza accused the Israeli authorities of successfully abandoning these nonetheless held there with its resolution to launch large-scale airstrikes.
Reporting was contributed by Patrick Kingsley, Yan Zhuang, Rawan Sheikh Ahmad and Aaron Boxerman.
