GAZA, Palestine – Israel launched a major wave of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, with the military describing the assault as targeting Hamas-linked sites.
Palestinian health officials say at least 220 people have been killed in the bombardment, marking the deadliest escalation since a temporary ceasefire began in January.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck “terror targets” belonging to Hamas, including the home of Mahmoud Abu Wafah, Gaza’s deputy interior minister and the highest-ranking Hamas security official in the enclave, who was reportedly killed in the attack.
Witnesses described a barrage of explosions across Gaza City, Rafah, and Khan Younis as more than 20 Israeli warplanes flew overhead.
The strikes came during the pre-dawn hours when many residents were preparing their Ramadan meal.
The bombardment followed the collapse of negotiations aimed at extending the truce, which had been mediated by the United States and regional partners.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the strikes were ordered in response to Hamas’s refusal to release Israeli hostages and its rejection of proposed agreements.
“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” the statement read.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, issued a warning to Hamas, saying, “We will show no mercy on our enemies” unless all hostages are released.
Hamas denounced the airstrikes as an act of “treachery,” accusing Israel of endangering hostages still held in Gaza.
However, the group stopped short of declaring an end to the ceasefire, instead urging mediators and the UN to step in.
US officials confirmed that Israel had consulted the White House before launching the assault.
The Biden administration had pushed for an extension of the truce until mid-April, alongside a phased hostage-prisoner exchange, but key disagreements between Israel and Hamas reportedly derailed the deal.
The renewed airstrikes add to the devastation in Gaza, where months of war have left much of the territory in ruins.
Health officials say more than 48,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed since the war began on October 7, following Hamas’s attack on southern Israel, which killed over 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.
With most of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents displaced multiple times, aid groups warn of catastrophic shortages of food, medicine, and shelter.
More than 70% of buildings in the enclave have been damaged or destroyed, and key infrastructure—including healthcare and sanitation—has collapsed.
