The death toll from a wave of Israeli strikes in Gaza Tuesday has reached 413, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.
The ministry says at least 660 people have been wounded in the strikes.
Israel launched a new offensive on Gaza Tuesday, shattering a ceasefire between it and the militant group Hamas and threatening to fully ignite the war in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the strikes after Hamas refused Israeli demands to change the ceasefire agreement. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel's actions.
The Israeli military ordered people to evacuate eastern Gaza, including much of the northern town of Beit Hanoun and other communities further south, and head toward the center of the territory, indicating that Israel could soon launch renewed ground operations.
“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Netanyahu’s office said.
The attack during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan could resume a war that has already killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza. It also raised questions about the fate of the roughly two dozen Israeli hostages held by Hamas who are believed to still be alive.
A senior Hamas official said Netanyahu’s decision to return to war amounts to a “death sentence” for the remaining hostages. Izzat al-Risheq accused Netanyahu of launching the strikes to try and save his far-right governing coalition and called on mediators to “reveal facts” on who broke the truce. Hamas said at least four senior officials were killed in Tuesday's strikes.
There were no reports of any attacks by Hamas several hours after the bombardment, indicating it still hoped to restore the truce.
The strikes came as Netanyahu comes under mounting domestic pressure, with mass protests planned over his handling of the hostage crisis and his decision to fire the head of Israel's internal security agency. His latest testimony in a long-running corruption trial was canceled after the strikes.
The main group representing families of the captives accused the government of backing out of the ceasefire, saying it “chose to give up on the hostages.”
“We are shocked, angry and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the process to return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.
Wounded stream into Gaza hospitals
A strike on a home in the southern city of Rafah killed 17 members of one family, including at least 12 women and children, according to the European Hospital, which received the bodies. The dead included five children, their parents, and another father and his three children.
In the southern city of Khan Younis, Associated Press reporters saw explosions and plumes of smoke. Ambulances brought wounded people to Nasser Hospital, where patients lay on the floor, some screaming. A young girl cried as her bloody arm was bandaged.
Many Palestinians said they had expected a return to war when talks over the second phase of the ceasefire did not begin as scheduled in early February. Israel instead embraced an alternative proposal and cut off all shipments of food, fuel and other aid to the territory's 2 million Palestinians to try to pressure Hamas to accept it.
“Nobody wants to fight,” Palestinian resident Nidal Alzaanin told the AP by phone from Gaza City. "Everyone is still suffering from the previous months,” he said.
Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 326 people were killed in the strikes and hundreds more wounded. Rescuers were still searching the rubble for dead and wounded as the strikes continued. It was among the deadliest days of the war.
U.S. backs Israel and blames Hamas
The White House sought to blame Hamas for the renewed fighting. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the militant group "could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.”
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the unfolding operation, said Israel was striking Hamas' military, leaders and infrastructure and planned to expand the operation beyond air attacks. The official accused Hamas of attempting to rebuild and plan new attacks. Hamas militants and security forces quickly returned to the streets in recent weeks after the ceasefire went into effect.
A second Israeli official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a closed-door meeting, said Netanyahu would meet with top security officials to discuss next steps in the war.
Talks on a second phase of the ceasefire had stalled
The strikes came two months after a ceasefire was reached to pause the war. Over six weeks, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in a first phase of the ceasefire.
But since that ceasefire ended two weeks ago, the sides have not been able to agree on a way forward with a second phase aimed at releasing the 59 remaining hostages, 35 of whom are believed to be dead, and ending the war altogether.
Hamas has demanded an end to the war and full withdrawal of Israeli troops in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages. Israel says it will not end the war until it destroys Hamas' governing and military capabilities and frees all hostages — two goals that could be incompatible.
Netanyahu's office on Tuesday said Hamas had “repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all offers it received from the U.S. presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators.”
Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Hamas instead wants to follow the ceasefire deal reached by the two sides, which calls for negotiations to begin on the ceasefire’s more difficult second phase, in which the remaining hostages would be released and Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza.
A return to war would allow Netanyahu to avoid the tough trade-offs called for in the second phase of the agreement and the thorny question of who would govern Gaza. It would also shore up his coalition, which depends on far-right lawmakers who want to depopulate Gaza and re-build Jewish settlements there.
Gaza already was in a humanitarian crisis
The war erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most have been released in ceasefires or other deals, with israeli forces rescuing only eight and recovering dozens of bodies.
Israel responded with a military offensive that killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza's population. The territory's Health Ministry doesn't differentiate between civilians and militants, but says over half of the dead have been women and children.
The ceasefire had brought some relief to Gaza and allowed hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to resume to what remained of their homes.
Netanyahu faces mounting criticism
The released hostages, some of whom were emaciated, have repeatedly implored the government to press ahead with the ceasefire to return all remaining captives. Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken part in mass demonstrations calling for a ceasefire and return of all hostages.
Mass demonstrations are planned later Tuesday and Wednesday following Netanyahu's announcement this week that he wants to fire the head of Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency. Critics have lambasted the move as an attempt by Netanyahu to divert blame for his government's failures in the Oct. 7 attack and handling of the war.
Since the ceasefire in Gaza began in mid-January, Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians who the military says approached its troops or entered unauthorized areas.
Still, the deal has tenuously held without an outbreak of wide violence. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate the next steps in the ceasefire.
Associated Press writers Fatma Khaled in Cairo and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
47 Comments
GuruMick
Netanyahu in difficulty at home, authorises some killing....its a distraction technique
u_s__reamer
These latest killings must also go on the account of the enabler in the White House who reportedly gave the war criminal the green light to do whatever he wants with American weapons. Why is the ICC MIA on atrocities committed by the "Axis of Evil"? (rhetorical question)
Hiro S Nobumasa
Who are the kidnappers? Israel?
theFu
Prove over and over. There's no way to negotiate with terrorists. Their power comes from being terrorists, not civil leaders. Until the Palestinians deal with their home-grown terrorists completely, there can't be peace.
First step for Palestinians - stop hanging out with terrorists.
The next steps are
Don't let them into your buildings.
Don't let them near your women and children.
Don't let them cache weapons anywhere near you.
Terrorists and their weapons are all targets. Keep them away, unless you want to be in the target area as well.
Fos
As if we need a further evidence how Israel is lying about the peace process in the Middle East, and the hypocrisy of United States of America.
After directing the mass killings of more than 60.000 people in Gaza, 70% of which innocent children and women UN says, once again Benjamin Netanyahu reveals his true nature: a criminal wanted by the the International criminal court of Justice who asks Washington more weapons to commit more atrocities.
GuruMick
The fu...Israel was founded on terrorism.
Were Hamas using terror before they were elected ?
What effect did the Israeli blockade have on hardening feelings in Gaza ?
What effect does the continued rejection of legitimate demand for state hood have on hardening attitudes. ?
Can you think of any historical cases, in other nations, were demands by one group and refusal of another group, did not have resolution in armed conflict ?
Calling someone a "terrorist " is lazy thinking.
Hamas, Hezbollah , even PLO and Fatah have underpinned their actions based on what they see are legitimate rights and historical precedents in other conflicts.
Fos
Another evidence how the reach of Benjamin, a master of deceit, is spreading to Japan, disseminating disinformation to influence public opinion.
What happened in Gaza was a “blight on the conscience of humanity”, and here we are still debating on which side are the terrorists, while Wall Street is celebrating another record and Washington keeps sending billions of dollars of weapons.
elephant200
Trump's plan to takeover Gaza by expulsion all Palestinians is a very cruel and mass violations of human rights. And he will put a gold statue of himself for adoring is like North Korea's idol worshipping social policy. Nobody should trust the U.S. anymore!
grc
Peace prize slipping away, Don
Daniel Neagari
I read in another article that this situation was what Netanyuhoo and his cronies where planning since the begining. I belive that is true and that President Musk and orange sidekick are obviouly in favor of.
That article is in Aljazeera if you ask.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/18/israel-launches-gaza-assault-killing-hundreds-and-shattering-ceasefire
I do try to read articles from different media for those issues I am interested on...since some may probalby ask, I revised for this issue at least 10 different media, in 4 different languages
NB
Free the Israeli hostages immediately!
NB
Yes.
owzer
Looks like Operation Find Out is back on the menu, boys!
NB
Not at all. Committing genocide to another nation is not a legitimate right.
iron man
History: Israel was founded on terrorism. Palestine was destroyed by colonialism. hence allowing the land grant to Israel. Unfortunately this is 2025, the destruction of peoples apparently still seems to be acceptable. But, I do not know what to believe, maybe the Truth LOL?
NB
Israel was founded on UN resolution 181.
Sam Beckett
Since 1967, between 750,000 and 1 million Palestinians have been arrested by Israel. As of October 2023, Israel held 5,200 Palestinian prisoners, including 170 children. (By November 2023, the number of Palestinian prisoners, including suspected militants and Gazans had increased to 10,000.)
Source Wikipedia
asusa tabi
The terrorists on Oct7 did not order the innocent jews to evacuate before their murder, rape, and burning alive frenzy.
Israel "orders people to evacuate" before hunting down the murderers
I think a see a moral difference here
NB
The Arabic Palestinian nation and the Israeli Jewish nation could have lived in peace, harmony and mutual prosperity since long ago. However, the Palestinian Arabs, drifted after their extremist leaderships (some of which are pseudo-religious, others are pseudo-Marxist, still others are just plain nationalist) from the 1940s have refused and are still refusing to any peace intiative. Their ambition is to commit genocide to the other nation, and they apply terrorism of the worst level of barabarism.
Jay
WHY are we just supposed to ignore the fact that Israel is the only foreign country allowed to openly lobby in U.S. politics, funneling billions from American taxpayers while giving absolutely NOTHING in return. WHY does the U.S. continue to act like Israel's personal piggy bank, funding THEIR endless wars and human rights violations while getting nothing but international backlash for it?
It's time to start asking who benefits from this arrangement, because it sure as hell ain't the American people.
Peter14
Israel's government are criminal barbarians and need to be removed by force. Shattering a ceasefire and murdering helpless defenseless families in an already destitute land.
There is no justification for Israel's actions and they must be held accountable through sanctions and being isolated by the worlds nations. Enough of these crimes!
NB
The justification is the continued holding of hostages, their starvation, torture and murder, and the refusal to exchange the hostages with prisoners.
Negative Nancy
More disgusting behavior from Israel, but unfortunately totally unsuprising.
Dave Fair
Netanyahu's plan is and has been to raze, reduce to ruins, FLATTEN and annihilate the homes, schools, hospitals, businesses, the social infrastructure, the livelihoods of the Palestinians in Gaza, leave them nothing! For what purpose, so they find refuge somewhere else, becoming refugees and no longer Netanyahu's problem! And then what to do with Gaza, well, trump has said it best.
I'veSeenFootage
White evangelical Christians are amongst the biggest Israel supporters in America, so apparently it benefits at least them. Something about the 2nd coming of Jesus or some other nonsense.
Jay
If you're a proud American, what should be on the menu is the question of WHY does AIPAC get to dictate U.S. foreign policy? No other country has a lobby that openly funnels millions into American elections to ensure blind, unquestioning support - no matter how many war crimes or human rights violations Israel commits.
Next question on the menu should be WHAT exactly is America getting in return? Answer: nothing, except international scorn, endless entanglements in Middle Eastern conflicts, and politicians too afraid to say a word against Israel for fear of career suicide or being labelled "antisemitic."
This isn't about 'allies' - it's about corruption, plain and simple.
Jay
Smartest thing you've said on these forums. Those Christians have been led to believe we have some sort of biblical duty to support Israel due to some OLD Testament verses about the return of the Jewish people to their homeland. But what they fail to think about is today's Israel is not a nation built on faith in Christ - it's a secular state run largely by anti-Christian elites who not only REJECT Jesus Christ, but are generally openly HOSTILE towards our fellow Christians. And the fact is, Israel as explained in the New Testament is NOT a political entity or even a physical nation but the body of believers in Christ.
And from an American Christian perspective, if we look at the fruit of our so-called "Christian" support for Israel, we get endless wars that drag young Americans into conflicts that serve their interests and a foreign state that has NO respect for Christians.
Time to STOP blindly following political Zionism and start focusing on building God's kingdom where it matters.
Nibek32
Israel certainly loves war, that’s for sure.
NB
Yet another distortion
https://youtu.be/ncRnv310wNY
Nibek32
Israel is opposed to peace. Kind of ironic they are doing the same thing to the Palestinians that the nazis did to them. History repeats itself.
Sam Beckett
Indeed, they have become that that tried to destroy them
NB
The above statement is distorted, and detached from reality and from the truth. The Palestininan Arabs could have opted for peace, for equitable coexistence and for mutual prosperity.
Nibek32
Looks like all of trump’s peace and ceasefires unraveled within a week. He never was very good at getting things across the finish line.
Cephus
This is what I know never start a war you can't win, because the real victims are always women and children. Egged on by people in safe havens Hamas started unwinnable war and now Israel is finishing it.
GuruMick
Fos..in early comments I wrote "Israel was founded on terrorism "
I think you misread me.
I meant the state of Israel had a number of organised terror squads murdering Arabs and forcing whole communities to flee.
Hence the Naqba.
Many of these Jewish "heroes " went on to become Knesset members in Israels first parliament.
They brag about this.
Now, more terror, more murders, because Netanyahu is in deep political trouble, Jewish right wingers in the US pay off Trump and Israeli exception to international law continues.
Mr Kipling
I hope they don't but who could blame Hamas for executing any remaining hostages after this mass murder in Gaza?
Mr Kipling
Trump wouldn't dare to take on the Israel lobby in the US.
GuruMick
I continue to reread Primo Levi,s seminal work "Is this a Man " , an account of an Italian Jew in Aus Wicht
My God...the similarities to how Israel treats Palestinians are palpable.
But...the camps were not bombed as Israel does to refugee camps.. concentration camp inmates could work in furtherance of the Fuhrer.
I say, Israel is worse than Hitlers Germany...
I condemn Israel from the bottom of my stomach
NB
The tragic naqba is a result of rejecting the UN resolution 181 and of launching the criminal 1948 war.
Mr Kipling
When will the holocaust sympathy for the Jews end? Surely that time must be soon.
GuruMick
NB...we are in 2025...can you update ?
Whats with settlers on the West Bank continuing to terrorise Arabs TODAY !!!!
itsonlyrocknroll
The devastation so brutally portrayed int the article header photograph, indicates harshly without any doubt that this middle eastern war was unlikely to conclude in a long term peace deal.
Certainly any thought of a two state solution is/was always going to be a hopeless delusion.
The end could be whenever every brick, stone is reduced to sand/rubble
What is left of Hamas hiding under, is eradicated. Hezbollah, Iran could follow.
GuruMick
Focus on Netanyahu and his motives.
Does he want a whole section of the world to condemn Israel...so he can claim "anti semiticism " is rife and only Netanyahu can save Israel and the Jews.
An old trick .
I admit feelings of anger at Israel and Israelis...I fell for the trick.
No .. I. wont be conned by a master conman...
I want Israel itself to reject Netanyahu, for Israeli Courts to convict him and for Netanyahu's place in history to be like the muck one wipes of your shoes.
I know so many Israeli people reject Netanyahu.....embrace this and hope for some justice between 2 unequal combatants
DeeZee
I want Americans to ask themselves this question. Who stokes all these wars and tensions between the people? Do they really think that their blind support for Israel will result in victory? You are driving nations together against you and it will soon become obvious how little power you actually have left.
itsonlyrocknroll
GuruMick,
Netanyahu, Biden and Trump will continue to stumble over the horrors of the harsh consequences, realities of Abrahamic religions, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.
This war is geo politically significant because the options to find a compromise could have reached a point of no return.
In New York students can wave the flag on pro Palestinian protests, in Gaza the profound consequences are measured in the loss of whole families.
Hamas must surrender to a designated UN peacekeeping force.
Now without fail.
leave for the sake of the Palestinian people.
buchailldana
Carte blanche for genocide.
Raw Beer
Yes!
Hostages were taken on Oct 7 to exchange for the 10,000 or so Palestinians held by israel.