Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip killed at least 235 people early on Tuesday, Palestinian health authorities said, in what officials described as the most intense attack since a ceasefire came into effect in January.
The strikes targeted dozens of locations across the enclave, including Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah. The Israeli military said it would continue its operations for as long as necessary and signalled that the offensive could extend beyond airstrikes, raising the prospect of a renewed ground assault.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes due to the lack of progress in ceasefire negotiations, calling the operation “open-ended”.
His office warned: “Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength.”
The White House confirmed that it had been consulted before the attack and voiced support for Israel’s actions.
The escalation shattered a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and deepened concerns about the fate of hostages still held in Gaza. Hamas accused Israel of violating the truce and putting the captives “at an unknown fate”.
Hamas also called on mediators to hold Israel “fully responsible for violating and overturning the agreement.”
In Khan Younis, Palestinian witnesses reported seeing plumes of smoke and bodies covered in bloodied sheets as overwhelmed hospitals struggled to treat the injured. The Palestinian Red Crescent said its teams had counted at least 86 dead and 134 wounded, while dozens more were brought to hospitals by private vehicles.
Some of the wounded were brought to Nasser Hospital, where patients lay on the floor screaming. A young boy sat with a bandage around his head as a health worker checked for more injuries, and a young girl cried as her bloody arm was bandaged, the Associated Press reported.
Many Palestinians had anticipated a return to hostilities after ceasefire talks stalled in early February. Instead of resuming negotiations, Israel imposed a blockade on food, fuel, and aid deliveries in an attempt to pressure Hamas into accepting an alternative proposal.
“Nobody wants to fight,” said Gaza City resident Nidal Alzaanin. “Everyone is still suffering from the previous months.”
The White House put the blame for the renewed Israeli attack on Hamas. National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said the militant group “could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war”.
Earlier, US envoy Steve Witkoff – who was leading mediation efforts – had demanded Hamas release the remaining live hostages “or pay a severe price”. Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz warned that the “gates of hell will open in Gaza” if the hostages were not returned.
“We will not stop fighting until all of our hostages are home and we have achieved all of the war goals,” he said.
The strikes came two months after a ceasefire was brokered to temporarily halt the conflict.
During the six-week truce, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and returned the bodies of eight others in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, efforts to move into a second phase of the agreement collapsed after the ceasefire ended two weeks ago.
Talks had aimed to secure the release of the remaining 59 hostages – 35 of whom are believed to be dead – and bring an end to the war. Hamas has insisted that all its captives will only be freed in exchange for a complete Israeli military withdrawal and a formal end to hostilities. Israel has refused these terms, stating it will continue its offensive until Hamas is dismantled and all hostages are recovered.
Additional reporting by agencies
