Israeli airstrikes in Gaza result in hundreds of deaths, jeopardizing the truce's stability
Israeli air strikes targeted Gaza on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of 326 individuals, according to Palestinian health authorities. This renewed violence threatens to unravel a two-month ceasefire, as Israel pledged to escalate its military...
TroibNews 
Israeli air strikes targeted Gaza on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of 326 individuals, according to Palestinian health authorities. This renewed violence threatens to unravel a two-month ceasefire, as Israel pledged to escalate its military efforts to rescue hostages taken by Hamas.
Hamas, which continues to hold 59 of the approximately 250 hostages abducted during their attack on October 7, 2023, accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and undermining the mediation efforts aimed at achieving a lasting peace.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he directed the military to take "strong action" against Hamas in light of the group's refusal to release the remaining hostages and their dismissal of ceasefire proposals.
Egypt, a key mediator in the ceasefire agreement reached in January, called for restraint and encouraged all involved parties to strive for a sustainable resolution.
The air strikes struck homes and tent encampments throughout the Gaza Strip, while Israeli tanks shelled areas across the border into the north and south of the enclave.
"It was a night of hell. It felt like the first days of the war," recounted Rabiha Jamal, 65, a mother of five from Gaza City. "We were preparing to have something to eat before starting a new day of fasting when the building shook and explosions began. We thought it was over but war is back," she shared via a chat app with Reuters.
Hospitals, already overwhelmed following 15 months of bombardment, were filled with casualties, and witnesses observed piles of bodies wrapped in white plastic sheets marked with blood. Officials from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reported that many of the deceased were children.
The Israeli military indicated it targeted dozens of sites, maintaining that the attacks would persist as long as deemed necessary and could encompass ground operations, raising the possibility of Israeli troops engaging in further military actions.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressed his horror at the Israeli strikes. "This will add tragedy onto tragedy," he remarked in a statement. "Israel's resort to yet more military force will only heap further misery upon a Palestinian population already suffering catastrophic conditions."
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has been exacerbated by Israel's suspension of aid deliveries for over two weeks.
Israeli media reported that the country was establishing shelters in multiple locations within the commercial center of Tel Aviv, anticipating potential retaliation from Hamas or Yemen.
Israel's renewed intensified pressure on Hamas coincides with rising tensions throughout the Middle East, where the conflict in Gaza has escalated into Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
Hamas, which continues to hold 59 of the approximately 250 hostages abducted during their attack on October 7, 2023, accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and undermining the mediation efforts aimed at achieving a lasting peace.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he directed the military to take "strong action" against Hamas in light of the group's refusal to release the remaining hostages and their dismissal of ceasefire proposals.
Egypt, a key mediator in the ceasefire agreement reached in January, called for restraint and encouraged all involved parties to strive for a sustainable resolution.
The air strikes struck homes and tent encampments throughout the Gaza Strip, while Israeli tanks shelled areas across the border into the north and south of the enclave.
"It was a night of hell. It felt like the first days of the war," recounted Rabiha Jamal, 65, a mother of five from Gaza City. "We were preparing to have something to eat before starting a new day of fasting when the building shook and explosions began. We thought it was over but war is back," she shared via a chat app with Reuters.
Hospitals, already overwhelmed following 15 months of bombardment, were filled with casualties, and witnesses observed piles of bodies wrapped in white plastic sheets marked with blood. Officials from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reported that many of the deceased were children.
The Israeli military indicated it targeted dozens of sites, maintaining that the attacks would persist as long as deemed necessary and could encompass ground operations, raising the possibility of Israeli troops engaging in further military actions.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressed his horror at the Israeli strikes. "This will add tragedy onto tragedy," he remarked in a statement. "Israel's resort to yet more military force will only heap further misery upon a Palestinian population already suffering catastrophic conditions."
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has been exacerbated by Israel's suspension of aid deliveries for over two weeks.
Israeli media reported that the country was establishing shelters in multiple locations within the commercial center of Tel Aviv, anticipating potential retaliation from Hamas or Yemen.
Israel's renewed intensified pressure on Hamas coincides with rising tensions throughout the Middle East, where the conflict in Gaza has escalated into Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
