Netanyahu ends truce, vows intensified strikes on Gaza
Hamas spoke out after Israel broke the truce. "Netanyahu and his extremist government are making a decision to overturn the ceasefire agreement, exposing prisoners in Gaza to an unknown fate," the statement reads.
Hamas "holds Netanyahu and the Zionist occupation fully responsible for violating and overturning the agreement," the terrorist organization wrote in a statement posted on Telegram.
Early on Tuesday morning, Israel began bombing the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the end of the ceasefire and declared the resumption of war in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military reported that the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet are currently conducting extensive attacks on Hamas terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip.
A senior Hamas official told Reuters that the Israeli attacks mean that Israel is unilaterally ending the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which has been in place since January 19. According to local sources, there are already over 300 casualties from the Israeli attacks.
Despite ending the first phase of the ceasefire in early March, the parties did not agree on its extension. According to Israeli data, Hamas is holding 24 hostages and the bodies of 35 dead, abducted on October 7, 2023.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to continue negotiations with Hamas. This decision was made after a Saturday meeting involving the Israeli government and military representatives. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening, held an in-depth discussion on the issue of the hostages, with the participation of the negotiating team and the heads of the security establishment," the Prime Minister's Office announced.
Israeli media reported that Katz said that "the gates of hell will open in Gaza" if Hamas does not release all the hostages in Palestine. "Hamas' murderers and rapists will meet the IDF with forces they have never known before," added Israel's defense minister.
