Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that the latest wave of airstrikes on Gaza is “only the beginning,” marking a significant escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The overnight strikes, the most intense since a January ceasefire, resulted in more than 400 deaths across Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Netanyahu stated in a video address on Tuesday that Hamas had already felt Israel’s military strength and that “negotiations will take place only under fire.” He emphasized that continued military pressure was crucial for securing the release of hostages captured during Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023.
Israel has maintained that its military operations will persist until all hostages are returned. Netanyahu’s office justified the latest offensive by citing Hamas’s “repeated refusal to release our hostages.” Defense Minister Israel Katz reinforced this stance, warning that Israel’s military would continue its operations until Hamas was completely dismantled.
The airstrikes, which targeted multiple locations across Gaza, killed several Hamas officials, including Essam al-Dalis, the head of the group’s government in the territory. Images from the aftermath showed civilians, including children, being rushed to hospitals amid the destruction. According to UNICEF, many of the casualties were children, while medical facilities, already weakened by months of war, struggled to cope with the influx of wounded.
The United Nations and various international governments condemned the renewed violence. Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized the attacks on refugee camps, while Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi accused Israel of deliberately making Gaza uninhabitable. Hamas supporters, including Iran, labeled the strikes as a continuation of genocide.
Meanwhile, far-right factions in Netanyahu’s government, which had earlier withdrawn in protest against the January ceasefire, have now rejoined his ruling coalition, signaling stronger support for further military action. The conflict has also drawn in Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who launched a missile at Israel on Tuesday, which was intercepted by Israeli defense systems.
With the situation rapidly escalating, diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the violence remain uncertain, as Hamas has not yet responded militarily but has called for international intervention.
