Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed more than 400 people, according to Palestinian health officials, intensifying fears of a total breakdown in the two-month ceasefire. The strikes came after Israel accused Hamas of refusing to release the remaining 59 hostages still held from the October 7, 2023 attack, in which around 1,200 Israelis were killed. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered intensified military action, targeting Hamas leaders and infrastructure.
The airstrikes hit multiple locations across Gaza, including residential areas and tent encampments, while Israeli tanks fired into the enclave. Civilians described the attacks as some of the worst since the war began, with hospitals overwhelmed by casualties. Among those killed were senior Hamas officials, including Essam Addalees, Ahmed Al-Hetta, and Mahmoud Abu Watfa.
Egypt, a key mediator in previous ceasefire agreements, called for restraint and urged all parties to pursue a lasting truce. However, as the violence escalates, concerns grow that the conflict could further spread across the Middle East, with Israel striking targets in Lebanon, Syria, and the occupied West Bank.
Efforts to extend the previous ceasefire, which facilitated hostage-prisoner exchanges, have stalled. Israel, backed by the U.S., proposed a temporary truce in exchange for the remaining hostages, while Hamas has demanded a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Egyptian mediators, taken by surprise by the sudden airstrikes, are now working urgently to salvage negotiations.
Since the war began, over 48,000 people have been killed in Gaza, and much of the region's infrastructure has been destroyed. With humanitarian aid deliveries halted for weeks, the situation continues to deteriorate, raising urgent calls for renewed diplomatic efforts to end the violence.
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