Gaza, March 18, 2025: Israel has carried out its most intense bombardment of Gaza since January, killing at least 326 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The airstrikes, ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, targeted multiple areas, including Gaza City, Rafah, and Khan Younis. Many of the victims were civilians caught in the attacks while having their pre-dawn meal during the holy month of Ramadan.
Medical sources told Al Jazeera that at least 154 people were killed in northern Gaza alone. Among those killed was Mahmoud Abu Wafah, Gaza’s deputy interior minister and a senior security official. The Hamas-run health ministry reported that women, children, and the elderly were among the dead.
The attacks followed failed negotiations to extend the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Israeli officials blamed Hamas for rejecting US-brokered proposals, while Hamas accused Israel of deliberately undermining truce efforts. The group warned that continued aggression would endanger Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
A White House spokesperson confirmed that Israel consulted the Trump administration before launching the strikes. Meanwhile, Hamas has urged international mediators and the United Nations to intervene, calling the attacks a “grave betrayal.”
With Israel’s blockade now in its 16th day, conditions in Gaza have worsened. Food, medicine, and fuel remain cut off, leaving 2.1 million residents struggling for survival. The majority of the population has been displaced multiple times, with nearly 70% of Gaza’s buildings damaged or destroyed. The collapse of water and sanitation systems has further strained hospitals already struggling to function.
Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that at least 121 people were killed in Tuesday’s strikes alone, with 150 more wounded. Witnesses described a relentless wave of air raids carried out by more than 20 Israeli warplanes.
The initial ceasefire, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, began on January 19 but collapsed in early March after Israel refused to proceed with the next phase of negotiations.
Hamas has demanded a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire, but Israel insists that any further negotiations must include the complete demilitarization of Gaza and the removal of Hamas from power—conditions Palestinians say amount to surrender.
US envoy Steve Witkoff recently proposed a “bridge deal” under which Hamas would release five Israeli hostages, including Israeli-American Edan Alexander, in exchange for a substantial number of Palestinian prisoners. While Hamas agreed to release Alexander and the remains of four other hostages, Israel rejected the proposal as “unacceptable,” deepening the impasse.
Since the war began on October 7, 2023, Israeli military operations have killed over 48,572 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Despite international calls for restraint, Israel has escalated its offensive, with officials vowing to continue military operations as long as necessary.
