• Israel resumes airstrikes on Gaza after ceasefire talks fail, killing at least 330 Palestinians, including senior Hamas officials.
• Israeli Defense Minister warns of “no mercy” until hostages are returned and war aims achieved.
• Hospitals overwhelmed as casualties mount, with reports of children among the dead.
• Hamas accuses Israel of treachery, claiming renewed strikes are a “death sentence” for hostages.
• U.S. backs Israel’s actions, while families of hostages criticize the government for endangering their loved ones.

Fragile ceasefire agreement ends

The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has shattered, plunging Gaza back into chaos as Israel launches what witnesses describe as a “fire of hell” across the besieged enclave. The strikes, which began early Tuesday, have killed at least 330 people, including high-ranking Hamas officials, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The Israeli military claims the attacks targeted “terror infrastructure,” but the devastation has left hospitals overflowing, families displaced, and a trail of destruction that underscores the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The renewed violence comes after weeks of tense negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States failed to secure the release of remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to “destroy” Hamas, declared that Israel would now act with “increasing military strength.” Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed this sentiment, stating that the fighting would continue until all hostages are returned and Israel’s war objectives are met.

A night of terror in Gaza

Witnesses in Gaza described the strikes as relentless and indiscriminate, with explosions rocking neighborhoods from the north to the south of the strip. “Bodies and limbs are on the ground, and the wounded cannot find any doctor to treat them,” one resident told AFP. Hospitals, already strained by 15 months of bombardment, were overwhelmed as casualties poured in. Piles of bodies wrapped in white plastic sheets lined hospital corridors, while medical staff struggled to treat the influx of patients.

Social media footage showed plumes of smoke rising from destroyed homes and refugee camps, with families sifting through rubble in search of survivors or salvageable belongings. In the Nuseirat refugee camp, entire blocks were reduced to rubble, leaving displaced families with nowhere to turn. “We woke to the sound of very loud explosions,” said Rosalia Bollen, a UN staffer in Gaza. “Once the strikes subsided, we heard people yelling, people screaming, and ambulances rushing to the scene.”

The Israeli military issued evacuation orders for residents in designated “dangerous combat zones,” urging them to flee to shelters in western Gaza City and Khan Younis. However, many families, already displaced multiple times, found themselves trapped with no safe haven. “For your own safety, you must evacuate immediately,” warned Col. Avichay Adraee in a post on X. “Remaining in the impacted region puts your lives and the lives of your family members in danger.”

Hostages caught in the crossfire

The decision to resume fighting has drawn sharp criticism from the families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. The Hostages Families Forum accused the government of abandoning their loved ones, stating that “military pressure endangers hostages.” In a post on X, the group expressed outrage over the government’s decision to “back out of the agreement” with Hamas, which had outlined a path to releasing all living hostages in exchange for an end to the war.

“We are shocked, angry, and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the process to return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas,” the group said. They issued an “emergency call” for protests, urging the government to prioritize the safe return of the hostages over military objectives. “With each passing day, the danger to the hostages grows,” the statement added.

Hamas, meanwhile, has accused Israel of violating the terms of the January ceasefire agreement, which called for a phased release of hostages and prisoners. The group has demanded a permanent end to the war and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, conditions that Israel has repeatedly rejected. “We demand that the mediators hold Netanyahu and the Zionist occupation fully responsible for violating and overturning the agreement,” Hamas said in a statement.

A widening conflict

The renewed violence in Gaza has also reignited tensions across the region. Yemen’s Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, condemned Israel’s actions and vowed to escalate their own operations in solidarity with Gaza. “The Palestinian people will not be left alone in this battle, and Yemen will continue its support and assistance,” the group’s Supreme Political Council said in a statement. The U.S. has responded with airstrikes targeting Houthi positions in Yemen, further complicating the regional dynamics.

The conflict, which began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, has now entered its 15th month, leaving much of Gaza in ruins. Over 48,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Palestinian health authorities, while Israel continues to face international scrutiny over the scale of its military campaign. As the world watches the latest escalation, one question looms large: Can there ever be a path to peace in a region where decades of violence and mistrust have left both sides entrenched in resentment?

Sources include:

Dailymail.co.uk

Dailymail.co.uk

Enoch, Brighteon.ai