Israel launched a devastating air strike on the Gaza Strip, killing over 250 Palestinians. A Hamas minister and a brigadier general were among the dead. The attack followed the failure of ceasefire negotiations.
Israel attack on Gaza Strip: Israel has launched another major air strike on the Gaza Strip. The Israeli air strikes, which occurred on Tuesday morning (March 18th), sent shockwaves throughout Gaza. This attack is considered one of the deadliest in the past 15 months, marking the end of a 57-day period of relative peace and restarting the bloody conflict.
Over 250 killed, including a Hamas minister and brigadier general
According to Al Jazeera, the Gaza Ministry of Health confirmed that 250 Palestinians, including senior Hamas officials, were killed in the Israeli attack. This attack effectively ended the ongoing ceasefire agreement between Israel and Gaza.
High-ranking Hamas officials targeted
The Israeli military targeted high-ranking Hamas officials. Reports indicate that Brigadier Bahajat Hassan Abu Sultan, head of the Organization and Administration Authority in the Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza and a senior Hamas official, was killed. In addition, Deputy Interior Minister General Mahmoud Abu Watfa also perished in the attack.
Failed ceasefire talks
Peace talks between Israel and Hamas have completely failed. Israel maintained the first phase of the ceasefire agreement for 42 days but refused to accept the terms of the second phase. Subsequent negotiations to renew the ceasefire proved unsuccessful.
Netanyahu's announcement
A statement released from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, "Hamas refused to release Israeli hostages and sabotaged the peace talks, leading Israel to decide on this attack. We will now intensify our military operations against Hamas."
