Ceasefire Crumbles in Gaza as Israel Conducts Airstrikes, Killing Over 400
Israel conducted massive air strikes in Gaza after both sides accused each other of breaking the fragile ceasefire (Flickr)
Israel broke the two-month ceasefire with Hamas as it launched multiple airstrikes across Gaza, killing at least 591 Palestinians and wounding 1,042 as of March 22.
According to Al Jazeera, Israeli strikes hit areas including Khan Younis and Rafah in the south, and Deir el Balah and Gaza City in the north. The number of dead and wounded is still growing as people are found trapped under rubble and debris, per the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Israel justified the strikes by accusing Hamas of breaking the agreed-upon ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he had approved airstrikes in Gaza following the rejection of a ceasefire extension by Hamas, according to Reuters. Hamas stated that Israel had hindered any efforts to negotiate a permanent deal to end the war. Additionally, Hamas called Israel’s plan to extend the first phase of the ceasefire instead of moving on to the second phase “unacceptable,” as reported by Al Jazeera. Hamas indicated it does not currently seek to retaliate against Israel.
According to the Guardian, Israel issued evacuation orders to Palestinians in Gaza after Netanyahu warned that the strikes were “only the beginning.” On March 20, Aljazeera reported the launching of a ground invasion in the city of Rafah’s central Shaboura area, which is in the south of the Gaza Strip. Additionally, Israeli forces conducted strikes on the eastern and southern regions of Lebanon.
Israel’s strikes targeted mid-level Hamas leadership officials, killing five officials in the strikes along with their families, as reported by NPR. An anonymous Israeli official said that Israel’s efforts intend to prevent Hamas from rearming and growing stronger following two years of war.
Critics of Netanyahu have emphasized the danger posed to hostages still in Gaza from indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes, as seen in a Facebook post by Einav Tsangouker, a hostage’s parent. Families of the hostages expressed anger that the Israeli government seems to have given up on the return of hostages. Other critics argue that Netanyahu uses an endless war in Gaza to maintain his power in the face of accusations of corruption and mounting pressure, according to Haaretz.
Israeli officials within Netanyahu’s governing coalition oppose the end of a conflict with Hamas. According to BBC, two far-right Israeli ministers threatened to resign and collapse the coalition if any ceasefire was agreed upon before Israel entirely destroyed Hamas. This pressure contributed to Israel’s insistence to continue the war in Gaza and Netanyahu’s insistence that there would be no permanent truce, as Hamas desires, until the dismantling of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities.
Before Israel conducted the strikes, they consulted with the Trump administration. According to NPR, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt spoke with Fox News, stating, “those who seek to terrorize not just Israel, but also the United States of America, will see a price to pay. All hell will break loose.”
As there is seemingly no end to the current Palestine-Israel conflict, Israeli strikes and assaults on the Gaza Strip, Westbank, and surrounding states are expected to continue. If Israel and Hamas cannot reach an agreement, the region will continue to be in turmoil, with innocent people unnecessarily losing their lives.