Israel Reportedly Launches Extensive Strikes on Gaza; 220 Killed

The Israeli military has launched a series of "extensive strikes" on the Gaza Strip, with the Hamas-run health ministry reporting at least 220 Palestinian casualties.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the strikes targeted what they described as "terror sites" linked to Hamas. Among those reportedly killed was Mahmoud Abu Wafah, Gaza’s deputy interior minister and the highest-ranking Hamas security official in the area.

This marks the most significant wave of airstrikes on Gaza since the ceasefire began on January 19. Efforts to extend the truce have failed to yield an agreement.

Eyewitnesses say the strikes began during the pre-dawn meal for Ramadan observers, with more than 20 Israeli warplanes flying over before hitting locations in Gaza City, Rafah, and Khan Younis.

A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that both he and Defense Minister Israel Katz had ordered the strikes on Tuesday morning. The decision followed Hamas's repeated refusal to release Israeli hostages and its rejection of all proposals from U.S. Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and mediators. The statement also warned that Israel would escalate military operations against Hamas.

Israel's UN Ambassador, Danny Danon, urged Hamas to release the hostages, warning that Israel would take harsher action against its enemies.

Hamas condemned the attack, calling it a betrayal of the ceasefire and accusing Israel of endangering the remaining hostages held in Gaza. However, it has not formally declared an end to the ceasefire, instead appealing to mediators and the UN for intervention.

The White House confirmed that the U.S. was consulted before the strikes took place. Negotiators had been seeking to extend the truce, which ended on March 1, proposing a continuation until mid-April with further prisoner exchanges. However, discussions stalled due to disagreements between Israel and Hamas over key terms.

The ongoing conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, killing over 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and taking 251 hostages. In response, Israel initiated a military offensive that has since resulted in more than 48,520 deaths, according to figures from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, which are also referenced by the UN.

The war has displaced most of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents multiple times, with around 70% of buildings damaged or destroyed. The region is facing severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine, and shelter, while healthcare, water, and sanitation systems have largely collapsed.