Devastation in Gaza : Israel Resumes Bombardment Killing at Least 404; Ceasefire with Hamas Collapses

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered strikes after Hamas rejected Israel’s demands for changes to the ceasefire agreement. Officials indicated that the scope of the attacks could expand further.

Meanwhile,the White House has stated that it was consulted before the attack and expressed support for Israel’s decision.

The Israeli military ordered residents to evacuate eastern Gaza and move toward the center, signaling that a renewed ground offensive may soon begin.

Netanyahu’s office declared, “Israel will now intensify its military force against Hamas.” The attack, occurring during the month of Ramadan, could reignite a war that has already killed thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction in Gaza. It also raises questions about the fate of roughly two dozen Israeli hostages held by Hamas, believed to still be alive.

A senior Hamas official called Netanyahu’s decision to resume the war a “death sentence” for the remaining hostages. Izzat al-Risheq accused Netanyahu of launching the attacks to preserve his coalition and urged mediators to reveal who truly broke the ceasefire. Hamas reported that at least four senior officials were killed in Tuesday’s strikes.

Hours after the bombardment, no retaliatory attacks from Hamas had been reported, suggesting the group may still hope for the ceasefire to be restored.

The strikes come amid mounting pressure on Netanyahu in Israel, with large-scale protests planned over his handling of the hostage crisis and his decision to dismiss the head of Israel’s internal security agency. Following the attacks, his recent testimony in a long-standing corruption trial was canceled.

The main group representing the hostages’ families accused the government of abandoning the ceasefire, stating it had “chosen to abandon the hostage issue.” The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement, “We are shocked, angered, and terrified by the deliberate termination of the process to bring our loved ones back from Hamas’s horrific captivity.”

Many Palestinians said they had feared the war would resume when negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire failed to start on schedule in early February. Instead, Israel adopted an alternative proposal and cut off all supplies of food, fuel, and other aid to Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians to pressure Hamas into accepting it.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that at least 404 people were killed and more than 560 injured in the strikes. Earlier on Tuesday, it had reported 413 deaths and 660 injuries but later revised the figures. Rescue workers are still searching through rubble for the dead and injured as the attacks continue.

An Israeli official said Israel is targeting Hamas’s military, leadership, and infrastructure, with plans to expand the operation beyond airstrikes. The official accused Hamas of planning new attacks.

Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli leader held security consultations with senior officials but provided no further details.

Negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire had stalled. The strikes came two months after a ceasefire paused the war. Over six weeks, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and handed over the bodies of eight others in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in the first phase of the ceasefire.

However, since the ceasefire expired two weeks ago, the two sides have failed to agree on a path forward for the second phase, aimed at securing the release of the remaining 59 hostages. Hamas has demanded an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal in exchange for the remaining hostages, while Israel insists it will not stop until it destroys Hamas’s governing and military capabilities and frees all hostages.

Netanyahu’s office stated on Tuesday that Hamas “has repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all proposals received from U.S. President’s envoy Steve Witcoff and mediators.”

Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in exchange for a promise to negotiate a permanent ceasefire, while Hamas seeks adherence to the ceasefire deal, which included starting talks on a tougher second phase involving the release of the remaining hostages and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

The resumption of war could also bolster Netanyahu’s coalition, which relies on far-right lawmakers.