Israel Resumes Airstrikes in Gaza, Over 400 Reported Dead: A Shattered Ceasefire and Escalating Crisis
In a dramatic escalation of violence, Israel launched a barrage of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, ending nearly two months of relative calm under a fragile ceasefire with Hamas. Palestinian health authorities report that over 400 people were killed in a single day—one of the deadliest 24-hour periods since the war erupted in October 2023—while Israel warned that this is “just the beginning” of a renewed military campaign. The strikes have reignited global outrage, plunged Gaza back into chaos, and raised urgent questions about the fate of remaining hostages and the region’s future.
A Sudden and Deadly Assault
The airstrikes began shortly after 2 a.m. local time, catching many Gazans off guard as they slept or prepared for suhoor, the pre-dawn meal during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Israeli warplanes and artillery pounded targets from north to south, including densely populated areas like Gaza City, Rafah, Khan Younis, and Deir al-Balah. Witnesses described scenes of utter devastation: homes reduced to rubble, tent encampments engulfed in flames, and families fleeing with whatever they could carry.
Palestinian medics reported a staggering toll: the Gaza Health Ministry initially cited 413 deaths, later revised to 404, with 562 wounded. Among the casualties were scores of women and children, including a multistory house in Gaza City where 27 members of the extended Qraiqa family perished—over half of them women and children as young as one year old. Hospitals, already strained from 17 months of conflict, were overwhelmed. At Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, bodies wrapped in blood-smeared sheets piled up in the courtyard, while doctors at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis treated patients on the floor amid critical shortages of supplies.
“It was a night of hell,” said Rabiha Jamal, a 65-year-old mother of five from Gaza City. “It felt like the first days of the war—explosions everywhere, screams, and no safe place to run.” Video footage circulating online showed first responders digging through rubble to recover bodies, including those of children, as air raid sirens wailed in the background.
Why Now? The Collapse of the Ceasefire
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar in January 2025, had offered a rare respite after over a year of relentless fighting sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage. The initial phase of the truce saw Hamas release 33 hostages—some alive, some dead—in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. A second phase, meant to include a full Israeli withdrawal and permanent peace talks, stalled when Israel demanded the release of all remaining hostages—believed to number 59, with 24 still alive—before proceeding further.
Tensions simmered as Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza starting March 2, cutting off food, fuel, medicine, and electricity to pressure Hamas into compliance. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, proposed extending the ceasefire in exchange for half the remaining hostages, but talks in Doha collapsed when Hamas rejected the terms. Israel accused Hamas of breaching the truce by refusing to negotiate, while Hamas claimed Israel’s blockade and overnight strikes violated the agreement first.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking from the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, defended the resumption of hostilities in a televised address. “Hamas has rejected every proposal to secure peace and the release of our hostages,” he said. “From now on, Israel will act against Hamas with increasing force. This is just the beginning.” Netanyahu vowed to continue fighting until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages are freed, signaling that any future negotiations would occur “under fire.”
Targets and Casualties: Hamas Leaders Among the Dead
The Israeli military described the operation as a precision campaign targeting Hamas “terror targets,” including mid-level commanders, political officials, and military infrastructure. Among the confirmed casualties were several high-ranking Hamas figures: Essam Addalees, the de facto head of Hamas’s Gaza government; Ahmed Al-Hetta, deputy justice minister; and Mahmoud Abu Watfa, head of Hamas-run security services. The strikes also hit residential areas, schools, and tent camps, raising questions about the scope of collateral damage.
Hamas condemned the assault as an attack on “defenseless civilians,” accusing the U.S. of bearing “full responsibility” after it emerged that Israel had consulted the Trump administration before launching the strikes. White House National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes countered, “Hamas could have extended the ceasefire by releasing hostages, but instead chose refusal and war.”
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The renewed violence threatens to exacerbate Gaza’s already dire humanitarian situation. Over 70% of the enclave’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed since 2023, and 2.1 million people—most displaced multiple times—face shortages of food, water, and medical care. The blockade since March 2 has halted all aid deliveries, pushing the population to the brink of famine. The United Nations warned that the resumption of airstrikes could undo fragile progress made during the ceasefire, with humanitarian workers struggling to respond amid ongoing bombardments.
Doctors Without Borders reported “unacceptable massacres of civilians,” with emergency head Claire Nicolet describing 20 minutes of relentless airstrikes overnight. At Al-Shifa Hospital, once Gaza’s largest medical complex but now largely in ruins, only three beds were available for the influx of wounded. Evacuation orders issued by Israel for northern and eastern Gaza suggested a potential ground offensive could follow, displacing families yet again.
Global Reactions and Domestic Fallout
The international response was swift and polarized. Iran’s Foreign Ministry warned of “catastrophic consequences for global peace,” while South Africa—long a supporter of the Palestinian cause—called the strikes a sign of Israel’s lack of commitment to peace. At a tense U.N. Security Council meeting, U.S. deputy ambassador Dorothy Shea defended Israel, blaming Hamas for the collapse of talks. Algeria’s ambassador, Amar Bendjama, accused Israel of “collective punishment” and using starvation as a weapon.
In Israel, the strikes deepened internal divisions. Families of hostages protested outside the Knesset, arguing that military pressure endangers their loved ones still held in Gaza. “An agreement brings them back, not bombs,” said Yarden Bibas, a released hostage whose family was killed in captivity. Meanwhile, ultranationalist leader Itamar Ben-Gvir rejoined Netanyahu’s coalition, welcoming the offensive as a step toward “destroying Hamas.”
What’s Next?
As smoke rises over Gaza and warplanes continue their sorties, the path forward remains uncertain. Netanyahu’s promise of escalating force suggests a prolonged campaign, potentially including a ground invasion. Hamas has not yet retaliated militarily but warned that the strikes imperil the remaining hostages’ fates. The U.S., under Trump’s incoming administration, appears poised to back Israel’s actions, though European leaders urged a return to ceasefire talks.
For Gazans, the reality is grim: a return to the unrelenting violence that has claimed over 48,000 lives since 2023, according to Palestinian authorities. “We thought the war was over,” said Fedaa Heriz, a displaced woman in Gaza City. “Now we’re back to death.” As the world watches, the question looms: will this be a brief flare-up, or the start of another devastating chapter in the Israel-Hamas conflict?
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