Israel says it is currently carrying out “extensive strikes on terror targets” across the Gaza Strip.
A statement added that “from now on, Israel will act against Hamas with increasing military force”.
The Hamas-run health ministry says at least 200 people have been killed in the airstrikes.
Image: AP pic
According to the Reuters news agency, a senior Hamas official said Israel is unilaterally ending the ceasefire agreement.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Fox News interview that the Trump administration was consulted by Israel about the airstrikes yesterday.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Israel Katz ordered the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to “act forcefully” against Hamas.
It came after the militant group “repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all offers it received from the US presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators”.
“The operational plan was presented late last week by the IDF and approved by the political echelon,” the statement added.
Analysis: Israel is following through on its threat
The waves of airstrikes and tank fire throughout the night came as a surprise and brought an end to a ceasefire that lasted almost two months.
Only a small circle of IDF military commanders were aware of the plans, so Hamas had no forewarning. Neither did the civilians of Gaza, who have started to slowly rebuild what they can of their lives following the devastating war.
The IDF says it is targeting mid-ranking Hamas officials, although I’ve also seen pictures of dead and wounded children amongst the casualties.
Talks to extend the ceasefire and release more hostages had been ongoing in recent days, but Hamas and Israel couldn’t agree on the format of a continued truce.
Israel had already cut off humanitarian deliveries into Gaza and threatened a resumption of the war if Hamas didn’t change its position – they are now following through on that threat.
Israeli intelligence will have spent the last seven weeks of ceasefire gathering information of living Hamas commanders – these airstrikes will be an attempt to take them out and put pressure on Hamas to agree the ceasefire deal that Israel, and Washington, wants.
If they don’t, the IDF has already drawn up plans for an extensive campaign, and ground operations will follow. They have the White House’s backing.
The IDF and Shin Bet described the strikes as “extensive” – and said they were against “terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip”.
Last week, the Gaza health ministry said nine Palestinians, including three journalists, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the northern town of Beit Lahia.
A Palestinian source who lives in central Gaza told Sky News’ US correspondent Mark Stone that the strikes were “not a surprise”, saying: “I guess the strongest ones can do whatever they want.”
The source then said “we were sure that this war wouldn’t end” – and added: “I wish they (Israel) would open the Rafah border crossing (into Egypt). I wish to leave. I cannot take it anymore.”
Image: Al Aqsa Hospital in Gaza. Pic: AP
It comes almost two months after a three-phase ceasefire was reached by Hamas and Israel to pause the war.
Over the first phase of the ceasefire, which lasted six weeks, Hamas released 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza and five Thai nationals, in exchange for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
But since the first phase officially concluded, both Israel and Hamas have failed to agree on how to progress with the second phase – which would see the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.
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0:57 Gazans wait for food as blockade continues
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff proposed extending the first phase through to the end of Ramadan and Passover or until 20 April, which Hamas rejected.
At the start of March, Israel said it stopped all goods and supplies to Gaza after claiming Hamas was refusing to “accept the Witkoff outline for continuing the talks, which Israel agreed to”. Hamas called it “a war crime and a blatant attack”.
Five days later, Israel said it had cut off the electricity supply to Gaza.
The war began after Hamas militants carried out a cross-border raid into southern Israel on 7 October 2023 – killing 1,200 people and capturing about 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
Israel responded by launching an air and ground offensive in Gaza that has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, Gazan health officials say.
