At least 200 individuals died as Israel carried out a series of airstrikes throughout Gaza early Tuesday, breaking a tenuous ceasefire that had been in effect since January.
The attacks, which hit several areas such as Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah, represented the heaviest Israeli shelling since the ceasefire began. Palestinian health authorities indicated that a significant number of those deceased were children, as bombings targeted residential zones where thousands are still displaced.
As the strikes occurred, a spokesperson from the White House verified that Israel had consulted with the Trump administration prior to executing the attacks. In an interview with Fox News’ “Hannity,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “The Israelis consulted the Trump administration and the White House regarding their attacks in Gaza this evening.”
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She mentioned that President Donald Trump had cautioned Hamas and other factions, including Houthis supported by Iran, that they would “face consequences” for their acts of terrorism.
The attacks follow weeks of unsuccessful talks between Israel and Hamas regarding the situation of the 59 hostages still captive in Gaza. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu charged Hamas with “continual refusal to free our hostages” despite mediation attempts led by Egypt and Qatar, supported by the US.
A Hamas representative attributed the breakdown of the ceasefire to Israel’s unilateral actions and cautioned that the situation might escalate even more.
The ceasefire, first negotiated on January 19, resulted in the liberation of 33 Israeli and five Thai hostages in return for approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees.
Nevertheless, tensions escalated as Israel charged Hamas with delaying talks and obstructing aid shipments to Gaza as a means of pressure. Hamas maintained that any accord should feature a lasting cessation of hostilities and a complete Israeli exit from Gaza—conditions that Israel rejected.
