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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had ordered the aerial attacks after Hamas’s “repeated refusal” to release the remaining hostages it holds. “This is just the beginning,” he said.
“Hamas doesn’t want an escalation, but it will not surrender,” said one Palestinian analyst close to the militant group, which has been weakened by a 15-month war with Israel.
A top official said “large areas” of the enclave would be seized, suggesting that Israel intended to hold on to more territory.
Israel unleashed a ferocious wave of attacks on the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Tuesday, killing more than 300 Palestinians, in a unilateral end of its ceasefire accord with Hamas.
It was the first major strike on Gaza since Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire nearly two months ago.
While the Israeli government has stopped short of a ground invasion for now, its new strikes in Gaza seem to be an effort to force concessions from Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday’s attack on Gaza came after Hamas said no to the latest proposals by mediators, which included releasing the remaining captives.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had ordered the attack early Tuesday, saying Israel would “act against Hamas with increasing military strength.”
The effort is part of a dispute between Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing alliance and its opponents about the nature and future of the Israeli state.
More than 150 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the ceasefire accord took effect on Jan. 19, 2025, including 40 in the past two weeks, the Gaza Media Office has announced.