Israeli air strikes hit Gaza, killing 254 people, Palestinian health officials said on Tuesday and threatening a complete collapse of a two-month ceasefire as he promised to use the strength to release his remaining hostages in the track.
The first Israeli minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he instructed the military to take “strong measures” against the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas in Gaza in response to the group’s refusal to release hostages there and rejection of proposals to cease.
“Israel, from now on, will act against Hamas with increasing military force,” the first -minister’s office said in a statement.
After heavy attacks, the Israeli army issued evacuation orders to various neighborhoods in Gaza, according to a statement.
Meanwhile, Hamas accused Israel of overthrowing the ceasefire agreement, leaving the destination of 59 hostages still in uncertain Gaza.
Israel’s intense pressure on Hamas occurred when tensions exploded elsewhere in the Middle East, a major oil supplier to global markets, who saw Gaza’s war spread to Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would be responsible for Iran for other attacks on international transportation by the Houthi group, while his government expanded strikes at Yemen, the largest US military operation in the region since he returned to the White House.
Gaza strikes were reported in various places. Palestinian Ministry of Health officials said many of the dead were children.
The Israeli military said they reached dozens of targets and that the attacks would continue for the time necessary and extend beyond air attacks, raising the prospect that Israeli land troops could resume the fight.
The attacks were very large on scale than regular drone attacks, Israel said he recently performed against individuals or small groups of suspected militants and follows weeks of failed efforts to agree with an extension of the truce agreed on January 19.
Israel weakened Hamas and the Lebanese ally of the Hezbollah group, killing its leaders while launching attacks on the Houthis, all members of what was called Iran’s “resistance axis” against US and Israel’s interests.
Among the dead was Mohammad Al-Jmsi, senior member of Hamas’s political office, and members of his family, including his grandchildren who were in his home in the city of Gaza when he was hit by an air strike, sources and relatives of Hamas said. In all, at least five high Hamas employees were killed with members of their families.
In tense hospitals for 15 months of bombing, piles of bodies in white -stained white plastic leaves could be seen stacked when the victims were brought.
Some people were taken to hospitals overloaded by private cars.
Authorities also reported separately that 16 members of a family in Rafah, southern Gaza had been killed.
A GAZA Ministry of Health’s Gate said the number of dead had risen to 254.
In Washington, a White House door said Israel consulted the US government before attacking.
“Hamas could have been hostage to extend the cease -it was like, but he chose the refusal and the war,” said White House Gate, Brian Hughes.
In Gaza, the witnesses contacted by Reuters said the Israeli tanks descended areas in Rafah, in the southern band of Gaza, forcing many families who had returned after ceasing -Fogo leaving their homes again and going north to Khan Youis.
Stoff
The negotiating teams of Israel and Hamas were in Doha, as the mediators of Egypt and Qatar sought to fill the gap between both sides after the end of an early stage in cease, which saw 33 Israeli hostages and five Thai returned by military groups in Gaza in exchange for about 2000 Palestinian prisoners.
With the support of the United States, Israel was pressuring the return of the remaining hostages in exchange for a long -term truce to stop the fight until after the month of Muslim fasting from Ramadan and the Jewish Easter holiday in April.
However, Hamas insisted on changing negotiations for a permanent end of the war and a complete withdrawal of the Israeli forces of Gaza, according to the terms of the original cease contract.
Each side accused the other of not respecting the terms of the ceasefire contract. But so far, a total return to the fighting had been avoided.
The army has not provided details about the strikes held in the early hours of Tuesday, but Palestinian health authorities and witnesses contacted by Reuters reported damage to numerous areas of Gaza, where hundreds of thousands are living in makeshift shelters or damaged buildings.
Much of Gaza is now ruined after 15 months of fighting, which broke out on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas led gunmen attacked Israeli communities around the enclave, killing about 1200 people, according to the very high Israeli and kidnapping 251 hostages in Gaza.
The Israeli campaign in response killed more than 48,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities, and destroyed much of the enclave housing and infrastructure, including the hospital system.
