Israel launches extensive airstrikes on Gaza, Palestine claims 330 killed

Over 400 people were killed as Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza, breaking a fragile ceasefire since January. The attacks targeted Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah in the most intense bombardment since the truce began.

In Short

• Over 4000 killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza amid ceasefire deadlock
• White House official says Israel 'consulted' Trump before strikes
• Hamas blames Israel for breaking truce deal, warns of escalation

Over 400 people were killed as Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across Gaza early Tuesday, shattering a fragile ceasefire that had held since January. The attacks, which struck multiple locations, including Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah, marked the most intense Israeli bombardment since the truce took effect. Palestinian health officials reported that many of the dead were children, as strikes hit residential areas where thousands remain displaced.

As the strikes unfolded, a White House spokesperson confirmed that Israel had consulted the Trump administration before carrying out the attacks. Speaking to Fox News' "Hannity" show, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "The Trump administration and the White House were consulted by the Israelis on their attacks in Gaza tonight."

She added that President Donald Trump had warned Hamas and other groups, including Iran-backed Houthis, that they would "see a price to pay" for acts of terrorism.

The strikes come after weeks of failed negotiations between Israel and Hamas over the fate of the remaining 59 hostages still held in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office accused Hamas of "repeated refusal to release our hostages" despite mediation efforts led by Egypt and Qatar, with US backing.

A Hamas official, in response, blamed Israel for unilaterally overturning the ceasefire and warned that the situation could spiral further out of control.

Hamas blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for violating the ceasefire, accusing him of deliberately endangering hostages by resuming military operations.

"Netanyahu's decision to restart the war is a choice to sacrifice the occupation's prisoners and effectively impose a death sentence on them," a Hamas official said in a statement, alleging that the Israeli leader was using the conflict as a political "lifeline" to deflect from domestic challenges.

In a separate statement, the group warned that breaking the truce "places the prisoners in Gaza at an uncertain and dangerous fate".

The truce, initially brokered on January 19, led to the release of 33 Israeli and five Thai hostages in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

However, tensions mounted as Israel accused Hamas of stalling negotiations and blocked aid deliveries to Gaza as a pressure tactic. Hamas, for its part, insisted that any agreement must include a permanent end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza-terms Israel was unwilling to accept.

Tuesday's airstrikes targeted what the Israeli military described as mid-level Hamas commanders and infrastructure. However, Palestinian medics and witnesses reported widespread destruction in civilian areas, including a building in Gaza City and homes in Deir al-Balah.

The full scale of the devastation is still unfolding, but the Palestinian Health Ministry has warned that Gaza's already crippled hospital system is struggling to handle the casualties.

The latest escalation follows 15 months of war that began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led gunmen stormed Israeli border towns, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. In response, Israel launched a relentless military campaign that has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, while devastating much of the enclave's infrastructure and forcing nearly its entire 2.3 million population into displacement.