Israel Resumes Strikes on Gaza Amid Stalled Ceasefire Talks

Israel launched a new wave of extensive airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, ending a period of relative calm since a truce in January. The escalation follows stalled ceasefire negotiations, with Israeli officials attributing the renewed military action to Hamas' refusal to release hostages.

Hamas Accuses Israel of 'Sacrificing' Hostages

Senior Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq accused Israel of deliberately endangering hostages held in Gaza, alleging that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was using the conflict as a political tool.

"Netanyahu’s decision to resume war is a decision to sacrifice the occupation’s prisoners and impose a death sentence on them," al-Rishq said in a statement. He further claimed that the Israeli leader was leveraging the military escalation as a "lifeboat" to distract from domestic political challenges.

Israeli Army Conducts Extensive Strikes

In a statement on Telegram, the Israeli military confirmed the renewed offensive, stating that it was “conducting extensive strikes on terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip." The Prime Minister’s office also announced that the military was instructed to escalate operations across Gaza in response to Hamas’ repeated refusals to release hostages and its rejection of mediation efforts led by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

The latest escalation marks the end of nearly two months of relative calm, following a temporary ceasefire during which dozens of hostages were exchanged for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Heavy Casualties Reported in Gaza

Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that Tuesday’s airstrikes resulted in at least 100 fatalities, including five children, while over 150 people were wounded and transported to local hospitals.

As tensions continue to rise, diplomatic efforts to broker a renewed ceasefire remain uncertain, with both sides maintaining hardened positions on key demands.