Israeli warplanes and tanks shelled multiple areas of Gaza, Report says

On March 18, 2025, Israel launched large-scale airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, effectively ending a ceasefire that had been in place since January 19, 2025. This ceasefire, mediated by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt, had temporarily paused over 15 months of conflict following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. That attack killed 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage.

The January agreement successfully facilitated the release of 33 Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops, and an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz ordered the resumption of military operations, citing Hamas’s refusal to release additional hostages and its rejection of ceasefire extension proposals, including one from U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

Netanyahu’s office stated that the strikes were aimed at “achieving war objectives,” which included securing the release of all remaining hostages (estimated at 59, with fewer than half believed to be alive) and eliminating Hamas as a threat.

The Israeli military targeted dozens of Hamas sites military infrastructure, commanders, and operatives in Gaza City, Rafah, and Khan Younis, beginning at 2:00 a.m. local time.

Palestinian health authorities reported over 200 deaths, with varying figures: Reuters cited 254, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported 326, and other sources like AP confirmed at least 235 by mid-morning. Many of the dead included women and children, with hundreds injured and people trapped under rubble.

The bombardment, described as the heaviest since the January ceasefire, disrupted a period of relative calm during Ramadan and rekindled fears of full-scale war. Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli warplanes and tanks shelled multiple areas, triggering renewed displacement, particularly in Rafah, where families fled north toward Khan Younis.

Hamas accused Israel of “overturning” the ceasefire, warning that the strikes endangered the remaining hostages and labeling them a “clear violation of humanitarian conventions.” Israel responded that Hamas was rearming and planning attacks, justifying the escalation.

The White House confirmed that Israel had consulted with them beforehand, with spokesperson Brian Hughes stating, “Hamas could have extended the ceasefire by releasing hostages, but it chose refusal and war.”

The conflict escalated after weeks of unsuccessful negotiations in Doha, where mediators attempted to extend the ceasefire through mid-April, covering Ramadan and Passover. Hamas demanded a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, conditions Israel rejected, insisting on Hamas’s destruction.

Earlier, a humanitarian aid blockade that began on March 2, after Hamas rejected a U.S. proposal, had already heightened tensions. Condemned by Egypt, Qatar, and the United Nations as a violation of the ceasefire, this blockade further worsened Gaza’s dire situation, where over 48,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, 70% of buildings are damaged, and there is a severe shortage of essentials like food and medicine.

The U.S. supported Israel’s right to self-defense but faced criticism for failing to prevent the escalation, while Hamas called for global intervention.

Analysts believe Israel’s strategy may involve testing Hamas’s response before committing to a ground invasion, though evacuation orders for northern and southern Gaza suggest larger operations may be imminent. The strikes have displaced most of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents once again, deepening the humanitarian crisis amid a collapsed healthcare and sanitation system.