What happens to Israel-Gaza ceasefire as Tel Aviv launches fresh airstrikes claiming 200 lives? Hamas says…

Hamas warned that Israel’s airstrikes early Tuesday violated their ceasefire agreement and jeopardized the fate of hostages. In response, Israel stated that the airstrikes were launched due to a lack of progress in ongoing talks to extend the ceasefire.

However, it remains unclear whether this operation was a one-time tactic to apply pressure or if it marked the resumption of the 17-month-long war.

Hamas said Israel’s government was responsible for an “unprovoked escalation” against Palestinians, as reported by The Associated Press.

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Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that a wave of Israeli strikes across the territory has resulted in at least 200 deaths. Khalil Degran, a spokesman for the ministry at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, provided the updated figure early Tuesday, AP reported.

Israel’s fresh airstrikes

Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, saying it was striking Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the strikes because of a lack of progress in ongoing talks to extend the ceasefire. It was not immediately clear if the operation was a one-time pressure tactic or if the 17-month-old war was being resumed altogether.

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“This comes after Hamas repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all offers it received from the U.S. presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators,” Netanyahu’s office said, AP reported.

Taher Nunu, a Hamas official, criticized the Israeli attacks. “The international community faces a moral test: either it allows the return of the crimes committed by the occupation army or it enforces a commitment to ending the aggression and war against innocent people in Gaza,” he said.

The strikes came two months after a ceasefire was reached to pause the war. Over six weeks, Hamas released roughly three dozen hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Question on “ceasefire”

The ceasefire provided some relief to Gaza, allowing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to what was left of their homes. However, the region is facing massive destruction, with no immediate plans for reconstruction. A return to war could undo any progress made in recent weeks to alleviate Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.

Although the ceasefire largely stopped active fighting, Israel has kept troops in Gaza over the past two months and continued airstrikes, asserting that Palestinians were attempting attacks or approaching troops in restricted zones.

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A number of strikes earlier Monday killed a total of 10 people, according to Palestinian officials.

Since the ceasefire in Gaza began in mid-January, Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians who the military says approached its troops or entered unauthorized areas.

The ceasefire deal has largely held, with no major violence breaking out. The first phase involved an exchange of hostages between Hamas and Israel, with some hostages held by Hamas released in return for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been mediating the next steps, AP reported.

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Israel is seeking the release of half of the remaining hostages from Hamas in exchange for negotiations toward a lasting truce. In contrast, Hamas wants to proceed with the second phase of the ceasefire, which involves negotiations for the release of the remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Hamas is believed to hold 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others.