Israel broke the ceasefire in Gaza overnight on Tuesday, launching a fresh wave of attacks that killed more than 400 people.
The strikes targeted residential areas, schools, and makeshift shelters, leaving many civilians, including children, among the dead. Reports suggest that entire families were wiped out, while others remain buried under rubble.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced the decision to resume military operations, claiming it was necessary to pressure Hamas into releasing captives. Israel also alleged that Hamas was using the ceasefire to regroup and prepare for another attack.
However, critics argue that Israel had been maneuvering to avoid moving to the second phase of the negotiated truce, which would have seen an end to the war and the release of all remaining Israeli hostages.
According to Al Jazeera, Israeli forces hit locations across Gaza, with heavy shelling reported in Khan Younis. Journalists on the ground described the devastation, noting that many of the airstrikes targeted densely populated neighbourhoods. Some of these areas had already been reduced to rubble in previous attacks, yet they remained filled with displaced civilians seeking refuge.
Staggering Humanitarian Toll
The Government Media Office in Gaza stated that most of the victims were women, children, and the elderly. Medical teams, already overwhelmed by months of war, struggled to respond due to fuel shortages, making it nearly impossible to transport the wounded to hospitals.
Hamas swiftly condemned the renewed assault, calling it a ‘blatant violation of all international and humanitarian conventions.’ The group argued that Israel was acting in bad faith, breaking the ceasefire while humanitarian conditions remained dire. With medical supplies dwindling and thousands of displaced people lacking access to food, water, and shelter, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels.
The United States, Israel’s strongest ally, confirmed that Israel had consulted with Washington before resuming its military operations. However, the Trump administration has not taken any visible steps to prevent further escalation. This has fueled criticism that the U.S. is complicit in the violence by continuing to provide military aid to Israel.
Meanwhile, the families of Israeli hostages reacted with outrage. A group representing them accused the government of abandoning the captives by prioritising military action over diplomacy. ‘We are shocked, angry, and scared about the deliberate disruption of the process to return our loved ones,’ the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. They warned that the renewed conflict put the remaining hostages at even greater risk.
Many observers believe Israel never truly intended to withdraw from Gaza. When the ceasefire was first negotiated, Israel refused to put in writing that it would not resume hostilities after the initial phase. Instead, it offered verbal guarantees through mediators, including Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S.
Hamas, despite skepticism, agreed to the terms, hoping to secure long-term relief for Gaza’s population. However, as critics point out, Israel’s actions now suggest it was always planning to return to war.
Beyond Gaza, Israel has been escalating its military operations across the region. It has continued airstrikes in southern Lebanon and Syria, while intensifying raids on refugee camps in the occupied West Bank. Israeli officials justify these actions as necessary for national security, but human rights experts argue they reflect a broader strategy of regional aggression.
The war on Gaza is not just about hostages or Hamas. It is part of a larger Israeli campaign that critics say aims to permanently displace Palestinians and maintain military dominance in the region. As international outrage grows, the question remains: how much longer will world leaders allow this war to continue?
