Israel unleashed a ferocious wave of airstrikes across Gaza early Tuesday, killing at least 404 Palestinians, including women and children, and shattering a fragile two-month ceasefire with Hamas. The surprise assault, greenlit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has thrust the 17-month war back into overdrive, with hospitals overwhelmed and the fate of two dozen Israeli hostages hanging in the balance.
The White House confirmed it was consulted on the strikes and threw its support behind Israel, pinning the blame on Hamas for rejecting hostage-release terms. “Israel will act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Netanyahu’s office declared, signaling an open-ended campaign that could soon see tanks rolling back into the enclave. Evacuation orders for eastern Gaza, including Beit Hanoun, hint at a looming ground offensive.
The bombardment—among the deadliest days since the war’s start—tore through Ramadan’s calm, leveling homes and sending plumes of smoke over Khan Younis and Rafah. In Rafah, a single strike wiped out 17 members of one family, including 12 women and children, according to European Hospital staff. At Nasser Hospital, AP reporters saw chaos: wounded sprawled on floors, a young girl sobbing as medics bandaged her bloodied arm. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 326 deaths by midday, later revising to 404, with hundreds more injured and rescuers clawing through rubble for survivors.
Netanyahu ordered the strikes after Hamas balked at altering the ceasefire deal, which had swapped 25 Israeli hostages and eight bodies for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners since January. Talks for a second phase—meant to free 59 remaining captives (35 presumed dead) and end the war—stalled in February. Hamas demands a full Israeli withdrawal; Israel vows to dismantle Hamas entirely. “This is a death sentence for the hostages,” warned Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq, who lost four senior colleagues in the strikes.
The U.S. doubled down, with NSC spokesman Brian Hughes claiming Hamas “chose war” by stalling. An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, said the strikes target Hamas’ leadership and infrastructure, accusing the group of regrouping during the truce. Netanyahu’s move also props up his shaky coalition, dodging tough ceasefire trade-offs and appeasing far-right allies itching to resettle Gaza.
For Gaza’s 2 million people, already reeling from a war that’s killed over 48,000 and displaced 90%, the ceasefire’s collapse deepens a dire humanitarian crisis. “Nobody wants this fight,” Gaza City’s Nidal Alzaanin told AP. “We’re still broken from before.” Meanwhile, Netanyahu faces heat at home—mass protests loom over his hostage strategy and a controversial bid to sack Israel’s Shin Bet chief amid his corruption trial.