Israeli strikes kill 413 in Gaza, ceasefire collapses

English , Middle East - مشرق وسطٰی , Snippets , / Tuesday, March 18th, 2025

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RKI Network
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip– Israeli airstrikes across Gaza killed at least 413 Palestinians, including women and children, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a military operation that shattered a ceasefire in place since January. The White House confirmed it had been consulted and backed Israel’s actions.
The strikes targeted Hamas positions in northern and southern Gaza, with evacuation orders issued for eastern parts of the enclave, signaling a possible ground assault. Hamas reported that four senior officials were killed in the attacks.
The escalation threatens to fully reignite the 17-month war, with concerns over the fate of around two dozen Israeli hostages still held by Hamas. A senior Hamas official accused Netanyahu of breaking the truce to appease his far-right coalition, calling the renewed offensive a “death sentence” for hostages.
Hospitals in Gaza struggled to handle the influx of casualties. A strike in Rafah killed 17 members of a single family, including 12 women and children. The wounded flooded hospitals, with rescuers still pulling victims from the rubble.
The ceasefire, which had led to the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, had stalled over disagreements on its next phase. Hamas demanded a full Israeli withdrawal in return for hostages, while Israel insisted on continuing military operations until Hamas was dismantled.
As Netanyahu faces mounting domestic criticism and mass protests over his handling of the war and hostage crisis, the conflict appears poised to intensify, exacerbating Gaza’s already dire humanitarian crisis.