Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled a willingness to continue negotiations with Hamas but stated they would proceed “under fire.” Overnight airstrikes on Gaza killed around 400 people, according to local officials, marking the collapse of a fragile ceasefire.
At approximately 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, Israeli forces launched widespread aerial attacks across Gaza. The Gazan health ministry reported that over 400 Palestinians, including children, were killed, though their figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. These strikes followed weeks of unsuccessful negotiations aimed at extending the truce, which had briefly halted 15 months of intense fighting.
While talks had been focused on ending the war and securing the release of more hostages, little progress had been made. Netanyahu, in a public address, declared that “from now on, negotiations will only be led under fire,” suggesting that diplomatic efforts would continue alongside military operations.
Hamas accused Israel of deliberately dismantling the ceasefire and putting hostages at risk but did not immediately retaliate.
The scale of the bombardment echoed the initial days of the war, which erupted after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Residents in Gaza reported widespread devastation, with one local describing how “all of Gaza shook” as airstrikes rained down.
The breakdown in talks also raised concerns about the fate of hostages taken during the October attack. While mediators had hoped to secure an agreement leading to the war’s end, Israeli leaders insisted that fighting would not stop until Hamas’s rule was dismantled. Hamas, while open to discussions about civilian governance, showed no willingness to disband its armed forces or exile its leadership.
Former U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel B. Shapiro pointed to Hamas’s refusal to release hostages and Netanyahu’s reluctance to proceed with the next phase of the ceasefire as key factors in the escalation. Netanyahu defended his approach, arguing that military pressure and hostage negotiations were intertwined, pushing back against criticism that his political decisions endangered captives. The White House confirmed that Israel had consulted with U.S. officials before carrying out the strikes.
