Israeli Airstrikes Kill Over 400 in Gaza, Ending Weeks of Relative Calm

Gaza – Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed more than 400 people, according to Palestinian health authorities, marking a brutal escalation after weeks of relative calm. The violence broke out following stalled ceasefire talks between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The airstrikes, which hit houses and tents across Gaza, including northern and southern areas, came after Israel accused Hamas of rejecting proposals to extend the ceasefire that had been in place since January. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes were a response to Hamas’s refusal to secure a lasting truce.

The strikes hit with devastating force, overwhelming Gaza’s already strained hospitals and leading to widespread destruction. In one of the deadliest single-day tolls since the war erupted, 404 people were reported dead, many of whom were children. Health officials say hundreds of others were injured.

Rabiha Jamal, a mother of five from Gaza City, described the terror, saying, “It felt like the first days of the war.” She explained that the explosion came just as her family was preparing for a meal before the day’s fasting, and she feared that peace had again slipped away.

The violence has forced thousands of residents in Beit Hanoun and Khan Younis to flee their homes after the Israeli military issued evacuation orders, declaring the areas “dangerous combat zones.”

Hamas, which still holds 59 of the hostages taken in the October 7, 2023 attack, blamed Israel for scuttling efforts to extend the ceasefire, though it refrained from threatening retaliation. Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua said the group is still in touch with mediators to finalize the implementation of the original ceasefire agreement, which includes a full Israeli withdrawal and a permanent end to the fighting.

Read more: Hamas Hands Over Bodies of Four Israeli Hostages in Fragile Truce Exchange

Meanwhile, Israeli forces have continued operations in the occupied West Bank and struck targets in southern Lebanon and Syria in recent days, further escalating the conflict across the region.

The UN and international mediators, including Egypt and Qatar, have condemned the airstrikes, with the UN’s Tom Fletcher highlighting that the modest gains made during the ceasefire have been “destroyed.” Humanitarian aid to Gaza has been blocked for over two weeks, worsening the humanitarian crisis.

As the death toll continues to rise, international efforts to broker a ceasefire remain at an impasse, with no clear resolution in sight.