Israeli airstrikes pounded Gaza, killing more than 400 people, Palestinian health authorities said on Tuesday, threatening the complete collapse of a two-month ceasefire as Israel vowed to use more force to free hostages held by Hamas.
According to Reuters, the Palestinian militant group, which still holds 59 of the 250 or so hostages seized in its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire and jeopardising efforts by mediators to secure a permanent truce.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he had told the military to take “strong action” against Hamas in response to the group’s refusal to release the remaining hostages and because of their rejection of ceasefire proposals.
The Israeli military described the attacks as a “preemptive offensive” aimed at thwarting Hamas’ ability to launch attacks against Israel and to rebuild and rearm its forces. It said it targeted “mid-ranking military commanders, leadership officials and terrorist infrastructure” belonging to Hamas.
The airstrikes also hit homes and tent encampments housing civilians from the north to south of the Gaza Strip and Israeli tanks shelled across the border line into the enclave, witnesses said.
“It was a night of hell. It felt like the first days of the war,” said Rabiha Jamal, 65, a mother of five from Gaza City.
“We were preparing to have something to eat before starting a new day of fasting when the building shook and explosions began. We thought it was over but war is back,” she told Reuters via a chat app.
Netanyahu has vowed to eradicate his old foe Hamas. While the group has been weakened with relentless Israeli bombardment and ground offensives, it is still the dominant force in Gaza.
Among those killed in airstrikes on their homes were Essam Addalees, the de facto head of the Hamas government, Ahmed Al-Hetta, deputy justice minister and Mahmoud Abu Watfa, the deputy minister of interior and head of the Hamas-run security services, Hamas said.
Egypt, one of the mediators in the ceasefire deal agreed in January, called for restraint and urged all parties to work towards a lasting agreement.
Israel’s intense pressure on Hamas came as tensions flared elsewhere in the Middle East, which has seen the Gaza war spread to Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq.
Israeli media said Israel was opening shelters in multiple areas in commercial hub Tel Aviv to prepare for possible retaliation from Hamas or Yemen.
