Israel has “resumed full fighting” against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday night.
In a rebellious video statement, he warned that “negotiations will only continue under fire” and that “this is just the beginning.”
His comments came after Israeli aircraft launched a massive airstrike over what they said was a target for Hamas in Gaza.
More than 400 people were killed in the attack, Hamaslan Health Ministry said, and hundreds more were injured.
The wave of strikes has been the heaviest since the ceasefire began on January 19th.
While fragile ceasefires have been held primarily until now, this new wave of attack suggests that plans for a permanent end to the war may be off the table.
The airstrikes that hit Beit Rahia, Rafa, Nusairat and Al Mawasi on Tuesday shattered the relative peace that Gazan had been experiencing since January, causing the hospital to die again.
The attack on Gaza has been criticized by Egypt, the mediator of the consultation.
The air attack is a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement and represents a “dangerous escalation,” said Tamim Kalaf, a spokesman for the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The attacks were so sudden that the scale of these large strikes had insufficient number of medical staff available, and additional teams were called to help quickly,” Mohammed Zakot, director of the hospital on Gaza Strip, told BBC Arabic.
In his speech, Netanyahu said that Israel had negotiated with Hamas to still attempt to detain Israeli hostages in Gaza. He accused Hamas of rejecting proposals each time.
Israel and Hamas have opposed ways to advance the ceasefire contract since the initial phase expired in early March after numerous exchanges between Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
The transaction included three stages, with negotiations in the second stage intended to begin six weeks ago, but this did not happen.
Instead, the agreement was cast on uncertainty when the US and Israel wanted to change terms of the transaction and expand Stage 1, where more hostages were released.
It would have delayed the start of phase 2. This was intended to establish a permanent ceasefire and called for Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza.
However, Hamas rejected this proposed change to the contracts intervened by us, Qatar and Egyptian intermediaries, calling it unacceptable.
On Tuesday evening, Netanyahu said Israel will continue to fight to achieve all of its war goals — “We will return the hostages, remove Hamas and make sure Hamas is not a threat to Israel.”
US President Donald Trump’s administration was consulted with Israel before he launched a strike, officials said.
“Hamas was able to release the hostages and extend the ceasefire, but instead chose to reject and war.”
Hamas warned that the resumption of Israeli violence would “impose a death sentence” on the remaining living hostages held in Gaza, and accused Israel of trying to force it to surrender.
Talking to the BBC about the attack, Dr Sabrina Das, a training for obstetricians, a Palestinian doctor in southern Gaza, said, “It was all very sudden…I knew it was the start of the war again, and everyone’s mood shattered.”
Dr. Das said his colleagues at Nassar Hospital “were operating all night” because “large casualties have begun to re-enter.”
Hostages “family representative groups” are protesting outside the Israeli parliament, accusing the Israeli government of choosing to launch a new strike and “resignate hostages.”
The news of the strike feared that some of the Israeli hostage families were still being held by Hamas.
“The Israeli government is not perfect, and Israel isn’t doing enough because my brother is not at home.”
“But Hamas wanted, the hostages will come back. They will be in their hands.”
Israel says Hamas still holds 59 hostages, of which 24 are believed to be alive.
Getty ImagesThe war was triggered on October 7, 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and bringing 251 back to Gaza as prisoners.
Israel responded with a massive military attack that killed more than 48,500 Palestinians, the Hamaslan Health Ministry in Gaza said, causing major destruction of homes and infrastructure.
