Over 300 killed as Israel launches deadly wave of airstrikes on Gaza
Israel has launched its most extensive bombardment of Gaza since January, killing at least 326 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The strikes, ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, targeted various locations across Gaza, including Gaza City, Rafah, and Khan Younis, as many civilians were having their pre-dawn meal during the holy month of Ramadan.
Medical sources told Al Jazeera that at least 326 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, including 154 in the north.
The attacks follow Israel’s failure to reach an agreement on extending the ceasefire with Hamas, with Israeli officials blaming Hamas for rejecting US-brokered proposals. However, Hamas has accused Israel of bad faith, saying Tel Aviv deliberately sabotaged the truce efforts and endangered the remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Among those killed in the strikes was Mahmoud Abu Wafah, Gaza’s deputy interior minister and a senior security official. The Hamas-run health ministry reported that Israel’s relentless air raids have left many civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, among the dead.
The Israeli government claims its renewed assault is in retaliation for Hamas’s refusal to accept mediation proposals from US envoy Steve Witkoff and other negotiators. A White House spokesperson confirmed that Israel consulted the Trump administration before launching the strikes.
Hamas has not yet officially declared the truce over but has urged international mediators and the United Nations to intervene. The Palestinian group denounced the attacks as a “grave betrayal” and warned of dire consequences for Israeli hostages if the aggression continues.
With Israel’s blockade on Gaza now in its 16th day, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated further. Food, medicine, and fuel remain barred from entering the besieged territory, leaving Gaza’s 2.1 million residents in dire conditions. Most of the population has been displaced multiple times, and around 70% of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Water and sanitation systems have collapsed, and hospitals are struggling to function.
Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that at least 121 people were killed in Tuesday’s strikes alone, with 150 more wounded. Witnesses described a relentless wave of air raids carried out by more than 20 Israeli warplanes.
The initial ceasefire, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, took effect on January 19 but ended in early March after Israel refused to move forward with the second phase of negotiations.
Hamas has consistently pushed for a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire. However, Israel insists that any transition to the next phase must include the complete demilitarization of Gaza and the removal of Hamas from power—conditions that Palestinians say amount to surrender.
US envoy Witkoff had recently proposed a “bridge deal” involving the release of five Israeli hostages, including Israeli-American Edan Alexander, in exchange for a substantial number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Hamas agreed to release Alexander along with the remains of four other Israeli hostages, but Israeli officials rejected Hamas’s response as “unacceptable,” further widening the deadlock.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 48,572 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The ongoing blockade and military campaign have led to an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.
Despite growing calls for an end to the violence, Israel has intensified its military campaign, with officials vowing to continue operations for as long as necessary.