Israel resumes airstrikes on Gaza, ending ceasefire and killing hundreds

Israel resumed intense airstrikes on the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, marking a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict and ending a two-month ceasefire that had brought brief relief to the war-ravaged enclave. The airstrikes killed more than 400 people, injured hundreds more, and left the region in a state of chaos and terror once again.

The Israeli military, alongside Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security agency, confirmed that the airstrikes targeted Hamas positions throughout Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a televised address, declared that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) would continue their assault against Hamas with increasing intensity, accusing the militant group of rejecting multiple proposals for extending the ceasefire and facilitating the release of Israeli hostages. “Negotiations will take place only under fire,” Netanyahu stated.

The violence follows the collapse of a fragile truce originally brokered in January. The ceasefire, which allowed the release of nearly three dozen Israeli hostages and provided a brief period of calm for Gaza’s 2 million residents, officially expired on March 1. Despite the expiration, talks had been underway to continue the peace process, with hopes of negotiating a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. However, delays from Israel in making progress on the second phase of the agreement, coupled with political pressure from right-wing factions within Netanyahu’s coalition, led to the end of the ceasefire.

For the people of Gaza, the return to violence has shattered the relative calm they had experienced in recent months. During the ceasefire, many displaced families had returned to their homes, attempting to rebuild their lives and assess the damage caused by the ongoing conflict. Humanitarian relief had also been flowing in, and Gazans had begun to reunite with family members and bury their dead. However, Israel’s recent blockade of food, aid, and supplies has worsened the already dire situation, triggering a sharp rise in the prices of basic goods.

It is worth noting, however, that Hamas had also been taking advantage of the ceasefire and refusing the release the hostages for which the ceasefire came into place. Both sides need to be blamed while Gazans have to suffer for the same.