Rushdi Abualouf and George Wright
Reports from Cairo and London
Explosion seen through Gaza as Israeli forces launch a new strike against Hamas
Israeli forces say they are running “massive strikes” in the Gaza Strip as Hamas-run health ministry reports that at least 330 Palestinians have been killed.
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) said it was attacking what is known as “terrorist targets” belonging to Hamas. The strike continues, and the IDF has recently issued new evacuation orders in many areas.
Mahmoud Abu Wafa, the deputy interior minister of Gaza and the highest Hamas security officer in the territory, is one of the dead.
This is the biggest wave of air attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire began on January 19th. Debate on extending the Gaza ceasefire failed to reach an agreement.
Many people were eating before dawn, part of the Islamic Holy Moon in Ramadan, when the explosion began in Gaza, witnesses say.
They described the nightmare situation of fire and bodies everywhere, and injured people who were desperately injured in treatment.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered a strike Tuesday morning, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.
“This follows Hamas’ repeated refusal to repeatedly refuse to release our hostages and reject all the proposals he received from the US President’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and mediators.”
“From now on, Israel will increase its military strength and act against Hamas,” he added.
Israel says Hamas still holds 59 hostages – everything except those taken on October 7, 2023. The 24 hostages are thought to be still alive.
Israeli UN ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon warned Hamas to release all hostages, saying he “will show no mercy to the enemy.”
However, a group representing hostage families said the Israeli government “chosen to abandon the hostages.”
A statement by the Hostage and Missing Family Forum expressed shock and rage at what was called “the intentional dismantling of the process to return our loved ones.”
The group later issued an emergency call to protest in Jerusalem, saying the hostages were “in serious danger.”
The Israeli Air Force attacked targets of Gaza City, Rafa and Khan Eunice early on Tuesday.
Ramez Alammarin, 25, told AFP News Agency how he transported his child to the hospital southeast of Gaza city.
“They unleashed the hellish fire again in Gaza,” he spoke of Israel, adding, “The bodies and limbs are on the ground, and the injured cannot find a doctor to treat them.”
Mohammed Bdeir told Reuters: “We were asleep and then suddenly woke up on a strike and attacked our neighbor… We found this girl under the tile rub and pulled her mother and father from under the tile rub.”
They eventually found his daughter’s body under the tile rub, he said.
“It was a tough night for everyone,” Rosalia Boren, a spokesman for the UN Children’s Charity UNICEF, who works in Almawasi in Gaza, told BBC Radio 4’s Today Program.
She said, “We were woken up to the sound of a very loud explosion. Our guesthouse was shaking. We heard the explosions almost every 5-6 seconds.”
She explained that she was listening to screams and sirens outside as the sound of the plane continued overhead.
Reuters
Mahmoud Abu Wafa, the highest ranked Hamas security officer in the territory, has been killed (2020 photo)
UN officials condemned the strike.
“This is merciless. The ceasefire must be restored soon. The Gaza people have endured unimaginable suffering,” said Muhannad Hadi, the humanitarian coordinator of occupied Palestinian territory.
Hamas reacted violently to the bombing, denounced Israel’s betrayal of the ceasefire. He also said that Israel exposed the remaining hostages to “unknown fate.”
However, Hamas has not yet declared it to resume war and is calling for mediators and the United Nations to intervene instead.
US President Donald Trump’s administration was consulted with Israel before carrying out the strike, a White House spokesman told Fox News.
Negotiators are about to move forward after the first phase of the temporary ceasefire ended on March 1.
The US proposed extending the first phase until mid-April, including further exchanges of hostages held by Israeli-held Hamas and Palestinian prisoners.
However, a Palestinian official familiar with the speech told the BBC that Israel and Hamas opposed the important aspects of the transaction set out by Witkov in an indirect speech.
The war between Israel and Hamas was caused by Hamas’ attacks on October 7, 2023. There, about 1,200 people (mainly civilians) were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
According to Hamasran Health Ministry, the attack caused an Israeli military attack, which subsequently killed more than 48,520 people.
Most of Gaza’s 2.1 million population is evacuated, many of which are difficult to avoid.
An estimated 70% of buildings are damaged or destroyed, medical, water and sanitation systems are collapsed, and there is a shortage of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.
