Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, saying it was hitting Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January.
The strikes killed more than 400 people and wounded over 500, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes because of a lack of progress in talks to extend the ceasefire. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions.
Hamas warned that Israel’s new airstrikes breached their ceasefire and put the fate of hostages in jeopardy.
The surprise attack shattered a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and raised the prospect of a full return to fighting in a 17-month war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza.
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Freed Israeli hostages voice anger and alarm over resumption of war
In stories on Instagram shared by Israeli media, several Israelis released from Hamas captivity in the first phase of the recent ceasefire made desperate appeals to the government to prioritize the release of the hostages and resume negotiations.
“Returning to fighting? Did you listen to a word of what we, the returnees released in the last deal, have been saying to you? Do you see us?!” wrote former hostage Omer Wenkert. He added that “the sense of being forsaken is the strongest I have ever felt.”
Romi Gonen, who was among the first hostages freed in the last ceasefire, said she “will never forget the moment in captivity when I heard the booms after the (first) deal collapsed and realized I would not be freed anytime soon.” She wrote, “I beg you, the people of Israel, we must continue to fight for them. And the government of Israel – get them out! This is the most urgent thing.”
A Palestinian health official says Tuesday is the deadliest day of the war in Gaza
Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the records department in Gaza’s Health Ministry, said at least 263 of the 404 people confirmed dead so far Tuesday were women or children 18 and under. He described it as the deadliest day in Gaza since the start of the war in October 2023.
Saudi Arabia has condemned ‘in the strongest terms’ Israel’s attacks in Gaza
A statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry called for an immediate ceasefire and for the protection of civilians.
Before the outbreak of the war in October 2023, Saudi Arabia appeared to be close to forging diplomatic relations with Israel in a potentially historic U.S.-brokered agreement. The war put that process on hold. Saudi Arabia says it will not normalize relations with Israel without a halt to the fighting and a path toward establishing a Palestinian state.
Mediator Qatar condemns Israel’s resumption of war in Gaza
Qatar has strongly condemned Israel’s resumption of its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Arab country has served as a key mediator with Hamas and helped broker the ceasefire that took hold in January.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned “the resumption of the Israeli occupation’s aggression against the Gaza Strip,” saying it threatens regional stability.
Egypt, which also played a key role in brokering the ceasefire, has also condemned the wave of heavy strikes Israel launched early Tuesday.
Israeli far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir’s party returns to Netanyahu’s government
Israeli far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir’s party says it is returning to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
His party had left the coalition after Netanyahu agreed to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in January. Ben-Gvir’s return comes after Israel launched a wave of airstrikes. It strengthens Netanyahu’s ruling coalition.
Turkey accuses Israel of ‘genocide’ in Gaza
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry denounced Israel’s airstrikes across Gaza as a new phase in “genocide.”
Turkey called on the international community to take a “decisive stance” against Israel to ensure a permanent ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
“The aggression displayed by the Israeli government threatens the future of the region,” the statement read. “It is unacceptable that Israel is causing a new spiral of violence.”
Gaza Health Ministry revises the number of dead and wounded
The Gaza Health Ministry has revised its death toll from Israeli strikes on Tuesday, saying a total of 404 people were killed. It had earlier reported 413 dead.
It also revised the number of wounded to 562 from 660. It did not provide an explanation.
Medics say the situation inside Gaza hospitals has been chaotic since the strikes began hours before dawn, and that many people are still buried under the rubble.
A doctor at a Gaza hospital speaks of ‘horror’ as casualties rise
A doctor working at a Gaza hospital said she had witnessed “a level of horror” that was hard to articulate after Israel’s surprise bombardment of the territory.
Dr. Tanya Haj Hassan, a volunteer with Medical Aid for Palestinians based at Nasser Hospital, said the pediatric intensive care unit was full. She said she had personally treated at least five patients who died in the emergency room.
“The ER was just chaos, patients everywhere, on the floor,” she said. “There were probably three men, and the rest were all children, women, elderly, everybody caught in their sleep, still wrapped in blankets. Terrifying.”
Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 413 Palestinians, officials say
The death toll from a wave of Israeli strikes in Gaza Tuesday has reached 413, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.
The ministry says at least 660 people have been wounded in the strikes.
Israel launched a new offensive on Gaza Tuesday, shattering a ceasefire between it and the militant group Hamas and threatening to fully ignite the war in Gaza.
Palestinians describe a strike on a school-turned-shelter
Palestinians at a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City say they were shaken violently from their sleep early Tuesday when Israeli jets struck. Hospital officials said more than two dozen people were killed.
“People are sleeping peacefully, they set the alarm to wake up for suhoor, and they wake up to death,” said Fedaa Heriz, a displaced woman, referring to the early morning meal during the fasting month of Ramadan.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the school strike, which was part of a renewed offensive in Gaza.
“I heard screaming, my mother and sister screaming, calling for help. I came and entered the room and found the children under the rubble, under the stones,” said Majd Naser, a displaced Palestinian.
Hamas says at least 4 senior officials killed in Israeli airstrikes
The Hamas-run government media office in Gaza said at least four senior officials, including two top police officers, in the Hamas administration have been killed in Israeli strikes.
They include Issam al-Daalis, head of the government administrative committee, Maj. Gen. Mohamed Abu Watfa, undersecretary of the Interior Ministry, Maj. Gen. Bahgat Abu Sultan, director of the domestic security agency and Ahmed al-Hetta, undersecretary of the Justice Ministry.
Egypt lashes out at Israel over new attacks in Gaza
Egypt, a key mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks, lashed out at Israel, calling its new offensive on Gaza a “flagrant violation of the ceasefire deal.”
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it rejects “all Israeli attacks which aim to … make ongoing efforts to de-escalate and regain stability fail.”
It called for the international community to “to immediately intervene to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.”
It also urged the parties to “exercise restraint” and give mediators a space to “complete their efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire.”
UN human rights chief ‘horrified’ by Gaza strikes
The U.N. human rights chief says he’s “horrified” by Israel airstrikes in Gaza overnight that have killed hundreds, according to health authorities in the territory.
Volker Türk says the last 18 months of fighting between Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, and Israeli forces have shown that “the only way forward is a political settlement” and a “military path” offers no way out of the crisis.
The rights chief reiterated his calls for hostages held by Hamas and people held arbitrarily to be released “immediately and unconditionally.”
“This nightmare must end immediately,” he added in a statement.
Families of hostages call for a protest outside Israel’s parliament
The families of hostages held by Hamas are calling on supporters to protest with them outside Israel’s parliament, saying the resumption of fighting in Gaza puts their loved ones at risk.
“With each passing day, the danger to the hostages grows. Military pressure could further endanger their lives,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the main group representing the families, said in a statement announcing the protest.
Netanyahu set to meet top security officials on the next step
An Israeli official says Netanyahu is to meet with top security officials in the coming half-hour to discuss next steps in the war.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a closed-door meeting.
— By Josef Federman in Jerusalem
UN secretary-general says he is ‘shocked’ by Israeli strikes in Gaza
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says he is “shocked” by the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and has called for the ceasefire in Gaza to be respected.
Guterres, in a statement, called for humanitarian aid to resume for people in Gaza and for the hostages held by Hamas to be released unconditionally.
Freed British-Israeli hostage says she is ‘crushed' by resumption of fighting
Freed British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari says her “heart is broken, crushed and disappointed” by the resumption of fighting in Gaza. In a story on Instagram shared by Israeli media, she said she would keep fighting for the remaining hostages.
Israeli strikes kill at least 326 people
Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israeli strikes across the territory have killed at least 326 people. The wave of strikes that began early Tuesday is among the deadliest since the start of the 17-month war.
Australian prime minister calls for ceasefire to be maintained in Gaza
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for the ceasefire to be maintained following Israel’s attack on Gaza.
“There’s already been enormous suffering there, which is why we’re calling upon all parties to respect the ceasefire and hostage deal that was put in place,” Albanese told reporters.
“We’ll continue to make representations. Australia will continue to stand up for peace and security in the region,” he added.
Israeli airstrike flattens prison, killing dozens of prisoners and police officers
An Israeli airstrike flattened a prison run by the Hamas-led government in Gaza Strip, killing dozens of prisoners and policemen, according to hospital records.
The prison was located in the urban Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. Associated Press footage showed a collapsed building and people trying to reach bodies buried under the rubble.
The bodies of more than three dozen prisoners and guards were taken to the nearby Shifa hospital.
The Hamas-run government operates a police force that numbered in the tens of thousands before the war and quickly returned to the streets after a ceasefire took hold in January.
Israel’s military orders people to evacuate eastern Gaza after wave of strikes
The Israeli military ordered people to evacuate eastern Gaza and move toward the center of the territory after Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes across the territory.
The orders issued Tuesday indicate Israel could launch renewed ground operations.
Classes suspended in dozens of Gaza schools after airstrikes
The Hamas-run Education Ministry in the Gaza Strip says classes have been suspended in dozens of schools that had recently reopened.
The decision came after Israel launched a wave of heavy airstrikes across Gaza early Tuesday, shattering a nearly two-month ceasefire.
Schools shut down across Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack ignited the war, and most were converted to shelters for displaced people.
The ministry said it had resumed classes in around 70 schools in recent weeks.
A UNICEF staffer describes a harrowing night in Gaza
A United Nations staffer in the Gaza Strip described a “very tough night” as Israel resumed heavy strikes across the territory after a nearly two-month ceasefire.
Rosalia Bollen, a communications specialist with the U.N. children’s agency, said she woke up around 2 a.m. on Tuesday to “very loud explosions.”
She said the UNICEF bass near the southern city of Rafah “was shaking very heavily.” When the strikes subsided, she heard “people yelling, people screaming and ambulances.”
“The bombardments have continued throughout the night,” though at a lower intensity than the initial barrage, she said. “The whole night, there’s been just the constant buzzing of drones and planes flying over.”
She said the strikes hit tents and structures housing displaced families. “We’re seeing, as of this morning, at least several dozen children killed,” she said.
Families of hostages held in Gaza say they are terrified by the resumed airstrikes
The main group representing the families of hostages held in Gaza has slammed the decision to return to fighting, saying the move shows the government “chose to give up on the hostages.”
The Hostages Families Forum said “military pressure endangers hostages.” It asked the government in a post on X why it “backed out of the agreement” with Hamas that set out a release of all the living hostages in exchange for an end to the war.
“We are shocked, angry, and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the process to return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas,” the group said.
Netanyahu's hard-line ally welcomes return to fighting in Gaza
A key governing partner of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the return to fighting in Gaza.
Bezalel Smotrich had threatened to leave the government if fighting did not resume, which would imperil Netanyahu’s rule. Critics said those political considerations were influencing Netanyahu’s wartime decision-making.
“We remained in the government for this moment despite our opposition to the (ceasefire) deal, and we are more determined than ever to complete the task and destroy Hamas,” Smotrich posted on X.
Israeli strikes have killed at least 235 people in the Gaza Strip
Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 235 people, according to local hospitals.
The toll from the strikes overnight and into Tuesday is based on records from seven hospitals and does not include bodies brought to other, smaller health centers.
Rescuers are still searching for dead and wounded.
North Korea criticizes US over airstrikes targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels
North Korea has criticized the United States over its new campaign of airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
The state-run KCNA news agency on Tuesday quoted Ma Tong Hui, North Korea’s ambassador to Egypt and concurrently to Yemen, as describing the attacks as a “wanton violation of all international laws including the U.N. Charter and it is an open encroachment upon the sovereignty of other nation that can never be justified.”
He also criticized “U.S. hooliganism.”
Trump during his first term held summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but the diplomacy collapsed over disagreements on US sanctions.
Senior Hamas official says Gaza strikes amount to ‘death sentence’ for remaining hostages
A senior Hamas official says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to launch widespread strikes on the Gaza Strip amounts to a “death sentence” for the remaining hostages held there.
In a statement early Tuesday, Izzat al-Risheq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, accused Netanyahu of resuming the war to try and save his far-right governing coalition.
“Netanyahu’s decision to return to war is a decision to sacrifice the (Israeli) occupation’s captives and a death sentence against them,” he said.
He said Israel didn’t respect its commitments in the ceasefire deal reached in January and urged mediators to “reveal facts” on which side broke the agreement.
US security official blames Hamas for renewed fighting
National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the militant group “could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.”
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been leading mediation efforts along with Egypt and Qatar, had earlier warned that Hamas must release living hostages immediately “or pay a severe price.”
Israel expects further military action
Israeli officials said the latest operation was open-ended and was expected to expand.
“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
White House says it was consulted by Israelis before resuming attacks against Hamas
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the “Trump administration and the White House were consulted by the Israelis on their attacks in Gaza tonight.”
“As President Trump has made it clear, Hamas, the Houthis, Iran — all those who seek to terrorize not just Israel, but also the United States of America — will see a price to pay: All hell will break lose,” Leavitt continued, speaking to Fox News on Monday evening.
Leavitt is one of three administration officials who face a lawsuit from The Associated Press on First- and Fifth-Amendment grounds. The AP says the three are punishing the news agency for editorial decisions they oppose. The White House says the AP is not following an executive order to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.